<Anchor> The



number of new coronavirus cases surpassed 111,000, the highest in 105 days.

While it has been confirmed that the highly contagious BA.5 mutation has become the dominant species in Korea, there is also concern that the number of confirmed cases may increase by the end of this month, when the summer vacation season ends.



Reporter Han Seong-hee reports.



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Last week, the domestic detection rate of BA.5 mutation was 60.9%, a 11.8%p increase from the previous week.



It has become the dominant species, but the spread of the mutated virus is considered to be the cause of the corona re-pandemic.



[Lim Sook-young / Head of the Central Quarantine Countermeasures Headquarters situation: (BA.5) We judge that the (spreading) speed is fast now, and there is a tendency to avoid immunity.] The



estimated rate of re-infection due to immunity evasion is also confirmed It increased to 3.72% of the ruler.



Among the reinfected patients, 35.3% were under the age of 17 and 18.9% were between the ages of 18 and 29, with more than half of those under the age of 30.



The number of confirmed cases imported from overseas stood at 568, the highest on record.



The number of people infected with BA.2.75, which is said to be more contagious than BA.5, increased by 2 more to 9, and 6 were from overseas.



Quarantine authorities said the new mutations did not appear to be more severe.



Still, you can't be reassured.



This is because the proportion of those over the age of 60 among confirmed cases has risen from 12.7% to 17% in just one month.



Nearly 100,000 elderly patients come out every week.



Summer vacation is a railroad variable.



It is predicted that the end of this month will be a turning point as the number of confirmed cases surged right after the summer vacation season every year.

[Kim Nam-joong/Professor of Infectious Diseases at Seoul National University Hospital: After the summer vacation, there is a high possibility that the total number of patients



will increase because social distancing has not been practiced.]



It is expected that the number will increase to around 500-600 inside and outside.



(Video editing: Choi Eun-jin, CG: Choi Ha-neul)