185 heat illness patients rushed to ERs on Thursday as relentless heat wave shows no sign of easing

A relentless heat wave sent 185 people to emergency rooms with heat-related illnesses on Thursday alone, as tropical nights — when temperatures fail to drop overnight — continue to fuel a surge in cases.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Friday that 185 heat illness patients visited more than 500 emergency rooms nationwide on Thursday. No additional deaths were reported. Since the KDCA activated its heat illness surveillance system on May 15, cumulative cases have risen to 2,872, with 23 deaths recorded.

Heat illness cases have been mounting day after day. After three consecutive days of more than 200 cases — 206 on Monday, 209 on Tuesday and 220 on Wednesday — Thursday's figure of 185 marked a slight decline but remains elevated. Power outages compounding the heat wave have also disrupted cooling and water supply in some areas.

By region, Gyeonggi Province recorded the most cases Thursday with 71, followed by Seoul with 43. Of all cumulative heat illness patients this summer, 77.3 percent were male and 34.1 percent were aged 65 or older. By condition, heat exhaustion accounted for the majority at 62 percent, followed by heatstroke at 17.3 percent and heat cramps at 11.1 percent.

The 6 to 10 a.m. window saw the highest incidence at 12.9 percent of all cases — a pattern attributed to overnight temperatures that never fell due to tropical nights, leaving the early morning hours just as sweltering. The afternoon hours of 2 to 3 p.m. followed at 10.1 percent, then 3 to 4 p.m. at 9.5 percent and 4 to 5 p.m. at 9.2 percent.

Outdoor worksites were the most common location, accounting for 25.5 percent of cases, followed by roadsides at 12.4 percent and farmland at 12.3 percent. Cases reported from inside homes reached 8.0 percent, underscoring the importance of maintaining adequate indoor temperatures.

The record heat wave has also disrupted the professional baseball schedule. After 25 heat illness cases — including a spectator in their 20s who collapsed — were reported at a game between SSG and LG Group, the Korea Baseball Organization and its clubs initially canceled games on Wednesday and Thursday. The league ultimately decided to call off all scheduled games through Sunday.

Health authorities advise limiting outdoor activities and drinking water frequently even when not thirsty to stay hydrated. Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages should be avoided as they can cause dehydration. When going outside is unavoidable, wearing loose clothing and using a parasol or hat to block direct sunlight is also recommended.