South Korea Experiences Surge in COVID-19 Infections, Leading to Increased Demand for Masks and Test Kits
South Korea is currently facing a resurgence in COVID-19 infections, prompting a return to pandemic-era shopping habits. Major convenience store chains, including 7-Eleven, GS25, and CU, have reported a significant increase in sales of related products over the past month. For instance, 7-Eleven saw a 62% rise in COVID-19 self-test kit sales from August 1-26, alongside increases in masks (17%), cold medicine (15%), and fever and pain relievers (14%). GS25 reported a 30.3% increase in test kits and a 10.3% gain in cold medicine, with a notable 341% surge in demand for children's and infant masks. CU also observed similar trends, with test kit sales up 45.7% and cold medicine sales up 12.2% from the previous month. The country's COVID-19 detection rate reached 9.1% for August 9-15, a 2.8-fold increase from three weeks prior, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in general hospitals has also risen 2.4-fold during the same period. 
