The 4th COVID-19 pandemic in Korea is gaining momentum.



The number of new confirmed cases per day has been in the four-digit range of 1,000 for more than five weeks, and eventually surpassed the 2,000 line.



The government's high-intensity 'social distancing' (level 4 in the metropolitan area, phase 3 in the non-metropolitan area) and restrictions on the number of private gatherings have not been effective, and the number of patients is increasing rapidly.



In particular, the 'delta-type' mutant virus originating in India, which has stronger transmission power than the existing virus, has established itself as the dominant species in Korea.



Both quarantine authorities and infectious disease experts are expecting an increase in the number of confirmed cases.



According to the Central Quarantine Countermeasures Headquarters (Bangdaebon) today (11th), as of 00:00 today, there are 2,223 new confirmed cases in Korea.



Yesterday (1,537 people, corrected from 1,540 people at the beginning), 686 people increased by a whopping 686 people, skipping the middle stage 6 and straight up to 2,200 people.



The number of 2,223 is the largest since January 20, last year, when the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Korea.



The previous record was 1,895 on the 28th of last month, 328 more than that.



If you compare the same day of the week on a weekly basis, the spread is getting stronger.



As of the release date, it recorded the highest number of days of the week for five consecutive days from the 7th, which was last weekend, to today.



The number of daily confirmed cases has been in the four digits since the 7th of last month (1,212 people) for the 36th day.



On the previous 35 days, the number was four-digit in the 1,000-person range, but today the leading number was changed to the four-digit number in the 2,000-person range.



From the 5th to today, if you look at the new confirmed cases in the last week, 1,775 → 1,704 → 1,823 → 1,728 (corrected from 1,729) → 1,492 → 1 It recorded 1,537 → 2,223, and it fluctuated widely from 1,400 to 2,200.




While the nationwide epidemic is accelerating, the spread in non-metropolitan areas is particularly strong.



Looking at the route of infection of the new confirmed cases yesterday, of 1,476 local cases, 818 (55.4%) were in the metropolitan area and 658 (44.6%) were in the non-metropolitan area.



The proportion of non-metropolitan areas (44.6%) among all local confirmed cases is the highest since the 4th pandemic.



As of today, out of 2,145 new regional confirmed cases, the metropolitan area has 1,405 (65.5%) and non-metropolitan areas 740 (34.5%), although the proportion of non-metropolitan areas has slightly decreased, but it is still in the mid-30s range. Went.



This figure has exceeded 30% for the 25th day since the 18th of last month (31.6%), and in the last week alone, it recorded 40.3% → 38.3% → 38.2% → 42.1% → 39.5% → 44.6% → 34.5%, three times. over 40%.



In this situation, the detection rate of delta mutations is also hitting new highs every week.



In the past week (8.1-7), a total of 2,641 people were infected with the so-called four major mutant viruses originating in the UK, South Africa (South Africa), Brazil, and India in Korea, of which 2,555 were the delta mutation. accounted for 96.7% of the total.



The remaining 3.3% were 'alpha-type' mutations from England (84 patients) and 'gamma-type' mutations from Brazil (2 patients).



In addition, the detection rate of delta-type mutations confirmed through genetic analysis during the same period was 73.1%.



The detection rate of delta-type mutations has risen sharply from 48.0% to 61.5% to 73.1% in the past three weeks.



During the same period, the detection rate of delta-type mutations in the metropolitan area also rose sharply from 48.2% → 62.9% → 71.1%.



Sang-won Bang, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis Team, said at a briefing yesterday, "The number of patients who have been stagnant for a while is showing an increasing trend."



(Photo = Yonhap News)