Due to the successive scorching heat, more than 200 people sought emergency medical treatment for heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion yesterday (August 7).

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced this today (August 8), stating that 202 heat illness patients visited around 500 emergency rooms nationwide yesterday.

Among them, 3 fatalities were reported.

The cumulative number of patients identified through the heat-related illness surveillance system, which began operating on May 15 of this year, has reached 3,089 so far.

The cumulative death toll stands at 26.

While the number of heat illness patients was under 50 per day until mid-last month, it has been recording triple digits every day since the beginning of this month.

After seeing numbers in the 200s for three consecutive days with 208 on August 3, 211 on August 4, and 223 on August 5, the count dropped slightly to 194 on August 6, before rising again in just one day.

By region, Gyeonggi Province had the highest number of heat illness patients yesterday with 68, followed by Seoul with 35.

It was found that 76.8% of heat illness patients this summer were men.

By age group, 35.1% were elderly individuals aged 65 and older. By type of illness, heat exhaustion accounted for the majority at 61.4%, followed by heatstroke at 18.0%, and heat cramps at 10.8%.

Regarding the time of occurrence, 12.8% took place between 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM.

This is analyzed to be because temperatures did not drop overnight due to tropical nights, causing the hot weather to persist into the morning.

This was followed by 9.9% occurring between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM, 9.8% between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM, and 9.2% between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

By location, outdoor workplaces accounted for 25.1%, roadsides 12.8%, and fields and paddies 11.9%, with outdoor areas accounting for the vast majority (74.9%).

However, cases reported from homes due to heat-related illnesses also reached 8.9%.

To avoid heat-related illnesses during heatwaves, outdoor activities should be refrained from, and people must drink water frequently to maintain body hydration even if they do not feel thirsty.

Alcohol and caffeinated beverages can cause dehydration and are best avoided. When going out is unavoidable, it is advisable to wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and block the sun with a parasol or hat.

(Photo: Yonhap News)