BED OCCUPANCY RATE ON THE RISE

[Anchor Lead]

The bed occupancy rate is rising quickly with the spread of COVID-19. More than 38 percent of ICU beds are currently occupied. Health authorities have begun administering an antibody drug Evusheld to the immunocompromised as part of the efforts to focus on controlling the outbreak among high-risk groups.

[Pkg]

[Soundbite] "It’s a COVID-19 antibody shot. It’s administered in the buttocks."

The antibody drug Evusheld is now being provided to the immunocompromised. They include blood cancer, organ transplant and primary immunodeficiency patients who are receiving immunosuppressive treatment and cannot acquire COVID-19 immunity through vaccines. Their number reaches 10-thousand. Unlike the vaccines, the Evusheld drug is administered to inject antibodies directly into the body. Its efficacy last roughly six months.

[Soundbite] Lee Hye-won(Nat’l Cancer Center) : "This injection is provided to those who cannot develop antibodies through vaccines and those who have decreased vaccine efficacy."

Korea reported 149,897 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Tuesday, 94,605 more than the day before. The number of seriously ill patients is now at 364. It has stayed above 300 for days now. The occupancy rate of ICU beds with artificial ventilators has surpassed 38 percent as the virus continues to spread. In the capital region particularly, the occupancy rate for semi-critical patients records 64 percent.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Woo-joo(Korea Univ. Guro Hospital) : "When the bed occupancy rates reach 75 percent or 80 percent, it's almost full capacity. As most of the new patients are over 60, the ICU occupancy rate will likely surge steeply in the next couple of weeks."

People from high-risk groups are advised to seek medical treatment as soon as they develop COVID-19 symptoms.

[Soundbite] Jung Ki-seok(Head, Nat’l Advisory Panel against Infectious Diseases) : "People from high-risk groups should immediately get tested when symptoms such as cough, fever and loss of smell or stuffy nose are detected. Taking medicine as soon as possible is critical."

Health authorities and medical experts expect the current outbreak to peak this week with daily cases reaching 150,000. However, increased travel during the summer vacation season could change the course of the outbreak.