"Unexplained Pneumonia, Almost No Infectiousness"…Cause of Outbreak Remains Unclear

The Country's First Suspected Patient... Diagnosed with Pneumonia 5 Days After Receiving Cold Medicine Prescription

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The first suspected case in South Korea showing symptoms similar to the unexplained pneumonia spreading in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has been identified. Initially, this patient visited a hospital with cold symptoms but was classified as a suspected unexplained pneumonia case five days later. Regarding this five-day gap, health authorities explained that "the pneumonia appeared after an incubation period."

On the 9th, Park Hye-kyung, head of the Biological Terrorism Response Division at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), stated, "X-ray results can appear normal one day and show pneumonia the next," adding, "Symptoms such as cold or sore throat appear during the incubation period."

According to the KCDC, a 36-year-old Chinese national woman, A, who was staying in South Korea, visited Wuhan with a colleague from January 13 to 17 for work. A worked in South Korea until the 25th and then went on a business trip to Xiamen, China, from the 26th to the 30th. From the day after her return, the 31st, she developed coughing and sore throat symptoms and visited a hospital in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, on February 2 and 3. At that time, the X-ray showed no particular abnormalities, and A was prescribed cold medicine. She underwent another examination at a different hospital on the 6th, which also showed no abnormalities. However, as symptoms persisted, she revisited the same hospital on the 7th and was diagnosed with pneumonia.

Health authorities have limited contact tracing to the patient's cohabitants, as no human-to-human transmission cases have been found in China or elsewhere, and no infections have been reported among medical staff who had contact with the patient. In fact, A and her colleague who visited Wuhan reportedly show no related symptoms. Park said, "We are investigating A's cohabitants," adding, "A lives alone in Korea without family, so we are accurately identifying the scale of contacts, including colleagues."

The cause of this pneumonia outbreak remains unknown. As of the 5th, 59 patients diagnosed with unexplained viral pneumonia in Wuhan have been reported. Park stated, "Even in China, where the most cases have occurred, the cause has not been identified, so it is impossible to predict when the causative agent will be determined."

A has been transferred to Bundang Seoul National University Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. The discharge date is undecided. Park explained, "A currently shows respiratory symptoms such as coughing and sputum," adding, "Discharge is possible only after 48 hours of symptom disappearance, but her condition has improved significantly."

The KCDC plans to conduct an epidemiological investigation focusing on the symptoms A exhibited before being diagnosed with pneumonia. Park said, "We intend to investigate whom A contacted and what activities she engaged in while in China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.