Patients with heat-related diseases top 4,000 this summer

SEOUL, Aug 25 (Yonhap/APP): More than 4,000 patients have been treated for heat-related illnesses this summer, marking the highest number since 2018, the national disease control agency said Monday.

The cumulative number of those patients had reached 4,048 as of Sunday, up 55 from the previous day, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

It is the highest figure since the 4,526 recorded in 2018.

Deaths presumed to have been caused by heat-related diseases stood at 26 this year to date.

South Korea has seen a steady increase in heat-related disease cases amid the persisting heat wave with the highest daily temperature hitting over 33 C.

The KDCA tracks heat-related illness cases between May to September every year.