Heat-related illness cases surpass 200 due to the early heat wave... 2.8 times last year

As the early heat wave continues, the number of heatrelated illness patients this year is rising rapidly. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s heatrelated illness emergency room surveillance system, the cumulative number of patients counted from the 15th of last month to the 4th of this month was 201, including 1 death. The deceased was a man in his 80s who died in Seoul on the 15th of last month, and it was recorded as the earliest heatrelated illness death since related statistics began. Compared with 71 patients during the same period last year, this is 2.8 times higher. By age, people in their 60s accounted for the largest number of patients, and by region, the most cases occurred in Gyeonggi, Seoul, and Gangwon, in that order. By illness type, heat exhaustion was the most common, followed by heat syncope, heat stroke, and heat cramps. Heatrelated illness occurs when exposed to high temperatures for a long time, and in severe cases it can be lifethreatening.