[COVID-19 Waves and Their Characteristics in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (Jan 20, 2020-Aug 31, 2022)]

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, first identified in China in December 2019, spread rapidly. In January 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Due to the highly transmittable coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), each country has implemented various policy such as testing, quarantine contacts and social distancing. In the Republic of Korea, there have also been a large number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19. From January 20, 2020 to August 31, 2022, a total of 12,122,122 cases occurred in the capital region (52.3% of the national outbreak). The largest number of cases occurred during the 5th wave when the omicron variant spread, and the severity rate and mortality rate were the highest during 2nd wave. Until the 4th wave, the social distancing stage was applied differently depending on the situation in cities, but from the 5th wave, when the number of cases surged nationwide, it was converted to a critical patient-centered response system. Vaccines and therapeutics have been developed and has lifted recommendations for non-drug quarantine measures, but the COVID-19 pandemic is not ended yet. Efforts to overcome COVID-19 should be continued by looking back on the outbreak and response of COVID-19 and finding what has been done well and what to complement.