With the bitter cold wave gripping the nation, the number of patients reporting cold-related illnesses doubled this week.
 
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) surveyed emergency rooms nationwide and found that 55 patients have reported cold-related diseases from last Sunday to Wednesday. The center said two of the 55 patients have died.  
 
The figure at 55 is two-point-three times higher than the 24 patients who suffered from cold weather ailments the previous week.
 
Of the 55, 72 percent were male patients. By age group, the majority of patients, or 27-point-three percent, were in their 50s.
 
One out of five patients was a recipient of state medical assistance.