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HOME > Osong Public Health Res Perspect > Volume 15(4); 2024 > Article
Editorial
Preparedness for the recent increase in COVID-19 cases
Jong-Koo Leeorcid
Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives 2024;15(4):265-266.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2024.0236
Published online: August 29, 2024

National Academy of Medicine of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Corresponding author: Jong-Koo Lee National Academy of Medicine of Korea, 51 Seochojungang-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul 06654, Republic of Korea E-mail: docmohw@snu.ac.kr
• Received: August 25, 2024   • Accepted: August 26, 2024

© 2024 Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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Is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) really over? Although the crisis has ended, the ongoing potential threat posed by COVID-19 still carries significant implications for us. The government established a concrete implementation plan at the end of last year and is preparing for a new outbreak. However, the recent signs of resurgence will serve as the litmus test for the adequacy of those preparations.
Over the past 2 weeks, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has reported an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations since late June of this year. By the second week of August (week 33), the number of hospitalized patients peaked at 1,444, the highest level recorded this year. Historically, COVID-19 has also surged during the summer months (July to August) in both 2022 and 2023. Based on these trends, it is anticipated that the number of COVID-19 cases will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. The domestic Influenza and Respiratory Virus Pathogen Surveillance (Korea Risk Information Surveillance System, K-RISS) noted a 39.2% increase in pathogen detection rates. Specifically, the proportion of KP.3 among circulating viruses rose by 33.4 percentage points from the previous month, reaching 45.5%. The primary factors contributing to the summer outbreak include poor indoor ventilation due to air conditioning and increased human contact during vacation periods. However, it has been determined that KP.3, which constitutes the largest proportion of cases, has a severity and fatality rate comparable to the COVID-19 fatality rate of 0.1% observed during 2022–2023. Therefore, there is no need for excessive concern regarding this summer's outbreak. The announcement emphasized the importance of continuing to follow infection prevention measures, including proper indoor ventilation, regular hand washing, and the use of masks [1].
First and foremost, accurate surveillance is essential for future predictions. A World Health Organization report indicates a global resurgence in reported cases, with significant outbreaks in Europe. Specifically, the KP.3.1.1 variant has rapidly expanded, now representing over 25% of sequences in the European region in the last 28 days, as of week 29 [2]. The effective relative reproductive rate of the KP.3.1.1 variant in the Spanish region is approximately 1.2 times higher than that of JN.1, and it surpasses the rates of KP.2, KP.3, LB.1, and KP.2.3. Furthermore, KP.3.1.1 has demonstrated higher pseudovirus infectivity and greater evasion of neutralization compared to KP.3, underscoring the urgent need for precise monitoring of variants and a rapid response [3].
Secondly, securing therapeutic agents and preparing to implement appropriate medical responses are crucial. We recall the experience of March 2022, when the number of patients and deaths rose despite the low fatality rate during the surge. This situation must not be repeated. Therefore, even though the virus has weakened, prioritizing measures to protect vulnerable populations remains essential. The government has emphasized its active efforts to secure therapeutic agents and vaccines for the protection of high-risk groups, to intensively manage facilities vulnerable to infection, and to ensure that there are no difficulties in the supply and use of therapeutic agents. However, we must prepare for the possibility of increased excess mortality due to a surge in COVID-19 critical cases. Despite the ‘Emergency Medical Measures for Doctors’ Collective Action’ that began in February, managing not only COVID-19 critical patients but also other critical cases may still pose challenges, underscoring the importance of prioritizing preventive measures for severe cases. It is fortunate that funding for more than 260,000 treatment courses (24 million United States dollars) has been secured, but the distribution to frontline medical institutions must be expedited. The evaluation of home-based medical care remains insufficient, and the primary care support system needs strengthening to prepare for a potential surge in patients. As the threat of a large-scale outbreak of variants persists, the difficulties in securing hospital beds experienced during previous surges may recur. Therefore, it is necessary to verify that preparations for primary care and home-based medical care are well established.
Third, the government has announced plans to develop vaccines and therapeutics within 100 days to prepare for a potential new outbreak. However, as no vaccine has been prepared for the summer outbreak of this variant, we must be ready to face the peak without a vaccine, even if an imported vaccine receives emergency use authorization. It is crucial to conduct a thorough evaluation of the entire COVID-19 vaccination program. Effective measures must be implemented to ensure smooth research and development of vaccines, rapid production, and timely distribution to the targeted groups. Additionally, it is essential to accurately assess the adverse reactions to the mRNA vaccine, which was used for the first time, to alleviate vaccination concerns. In response to the potential resurgence, the National Academy of Medicine of Korea, in collaboration with the government, academia, and industry, hosted a forum on August 23. The forum, titled “Forum on the Effectiveness and Safety Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccination and Strategies for the Development of Vaccines in Preparation for Future Outbreaks,” focused on these critical issues [4].
Discussions focused on identifying limitations within each sector and exploring potential solutions. Despite the technical hurdles involved in developing a vaccine for the next pandemic within 100 days—challenges such as achieving broader protection, longer-lasting immunity, infection prevention, alternative administration routes, sustainable manufacturing processes, enhanced safety profiles, platform flexibility, and increased public trust and acceptance—it is anticipated that production could feasibly occur within 200 days [5]. However, following the development of a new vaccine platform, companies have expressed concerns over market uncertainties, attributed to the small domestic market and trust issues with locally produced vaccines. These factors underscore the difficulties in committing to initial investments. It was acknowledged that overcoming these challenges requires a strong governmental commitment to research and development, budgetary support, workforce development, and the creation of new technologies that improve upon existing manufacturing techniques. The critical role of government governance and coordination in R&D was highlighted. In this regard, Japan's swift vaccine production and distribution serves as an exemplary model from which to learn.

Ethics Approval

Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

Jong-Koo Lee has been the editor-in-chief of Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives since October 2021.

Funding

None.

  • 1. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) (KR). KDCA news briefing [Internet]. KDCA; 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 23]. Available from: https://www.kdca.go.kr/board/board.es?mid=a20501010000&bid=0015. Korean.
  • 2. World Health Organization (WHO) (CH). COVID-19 epidemiological update: 13 August 2024, edition 170 [Internet]. WHO; 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 23]. Available from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports.
  • 3. Kaku Y, Uriu K, Okumura K; Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium; Ito J, Sato K. Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 KP.3.1.1 variant. Lancet Infect Dis 2024:S1473-3099(24)00505-X.
  • 4. National Academy of Medicine of Korea (KR). Forum on the effectiveness and safety analysis of COVID-19 vaccination and strategies for the development of vaccines in preparation for future outbreaks [Internet]. National Academy of Medicine of Korea; 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 23]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FmFTwDpmog. Korean.
  • 5. Meissner HC, Kapogiannis BG, Wolfe DN. Anticipating the Next Pandemic. N Engl J Med 2024;391:196−9.ArticlePubMed

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