Most victims of the novel coronavirus quickly spreading across South Korea were elderly people with pre existing health issues and special care is necessary to reduce further virus-related fatalities, health authorities said on March 3.

The cases of COVID-19 confirmed on March 3 brought the nation's total number of infections to 5,200. The KCDC data showed that the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients aged 80 or older was 5.4 per cent, compared with an average mortality rate of 0.6 per cent. "Those at most risk are people older than 65 years old with pre-existing diseases and the mortality rate for them is exceptionally high," KCDC Director-General Jeong Eun-kyeong told reporters.

The KCDC said the underlying diseases in 31 death cases vary. Among them are cancer, kidney failure and diabetes, and most of the deceased suffered from at least one preexisting ailment, sometimes two. Of the 31 deaths, 11 were in aged in their 70's, seven in their 60's and six in their 80's, according to the KCDC. The country's third COVID-19-related death -- of a man in his 40s in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province -- was the only one involving no underlying health issues, according to the agency.

The KCDC said more than 80 per cent of coronavirus cases are not severe and can be fully cured. To minimise deaths from the virus, the KCDC revised guidelines to allow critically ill patients to be swiftly treated in so-called negative-pressure rooms at hospitals starting Monday. Thus far, virus patients with mild or moderate symptoms had also been allowed to receive treatment at such facilities, which are designed to prevent infectious diseases from spreading within hospitals, reports Yonhup news agency. Patients with mild or moderate symptoms will be admitted to state-run isolation facilities, according to the KCDC.

Disclaimer: Image used is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent a true or accurate depiction of the news report.