The availability of adequate health care facilities is one of the most important factors that public-health policymakers grapple with when preparing for infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19. The researchers used historical data to evaluate whether South Korea is prepared for future outbreaks. Kim said they focused on South Korea because it has experienced several infectious disease outbreaks. They used population data from the Korean Statistical Information Service and infectious disease patient and hospital data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The study findings suggest that South Korea should add more NPIRs and allocate them more wisely to respond to novel infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19.