[사회]”Choose your breath at the beginning of the 4th epidemic” … How is it different from last December?

[앵커]

As the number of new corona19 patients surpasses 500 for three consecutive days, fears of the fourth epidemic are mounting.

The recent trend of patient outbreaks is similar to that of the third early pandemic at the end of last year, but there are also differences, so the government is in a position to observe the situation a little more.

Reporter Park Hong-gu about the report.

[기자]

Since December 5 of last year, for four days, the number of domestic outbreaks has been in the range of 500.

However, five days later, it shot to 1,000 and the third pandemic began in earnest.

Even recently, there are 500 new confirmed cases a day.

After the Lunar New Year break in February, it was once in the 600 range for a while, but this is the first time in the spring of more than 500 for three consecutive days.

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun mentioned the possibility of a fourth pandemic.

[정세균 / 국무총리 : 마치 코로나19가 4차 유행 초입에서 숨 고르기를 하는 것은 아닌지 걱정될 정도로 매우 위태로운 상황입니다.]

Quarantine authorities said it remains to be seen if the situation will worsen as in the third epidemic, but there is a qualitative difference due to improved medical response capacity.

Additional intensive care beds were secured and vaccines were administered to hospitals and nursing facilities, reducing the risk of group infections among the vulnerable.

[윤태호 / 중수본 방역총괄반장 : 12월 초에는 사실상 요양병원, 요양시설에서의 집단감염이 상당히 많이 발생을 하였고 지금은 그 당시에 비해서는 요양병원, 요양시설에서의 감염이 비교적 아주 적은 그런 상황들입니다.]

But there are more downsides.

The mutant virus, which is spreading globally, has already become a dominant species in Europe and is leading reproliferation, and the number of mutant infections is slowly increasing.

So far, more than 290 cases of infection have been confirmed, but it is pointed out that it is only the tip of the iceberg.

[백순영 / 가톨릭대 의대 명예교수 : 290명이라고 알려져 있지만 그거보다 아마 10~30배 많은 숫자가 나올 것으로 보이고 변이주의 확산이라는 게 시간문제일 뿐이지 결국은 우리가 접종하는 속도와 변이주의 확산 속도가 경쟁하는 상황이기 때문에…]

Furthermore, as the religious acts of Holy Week are on the brink and by-elections are being held, contact between individuals and groups is increasing, and the fatigue of distancing measures such as banning groups of 5 or more people accumulates.

The government is discussing plans to further increase distances in some areas where patients have recently increased, such as Busan, but said it plans to maintain the current stage for the time being in a broad framework.

This is YTN Park Hong-gu.

※ ‘Your report becomes news’ YTN is waiting for your valuable report.
[카카오톡] Search YTN to add a channel [전화] 02-398-8585 [메일] [email protected] [온라인 제보] www.ytn.co.kr

[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]