[Q&A] "China Wuhan Pneumonia, Domestic Confirmed Cases Occur... 3 People Quarantined and Under Investigation"

Medical staff are transferring patients to a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, where the novel coronavirus causing 'Wuhan pneumonia' has emerged, to provide intensive care for pneumonia patients on the 18th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced on the 20th that one confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, also known as the China Wuhan pneumonia, has been identified in South Korea. The patient is a 35-year-old woman living in Wuhan, China, who entered the country the previous day. She had symptoms such as fever and chills starting one day before entry and was prescribed cold medicine locally, but was confirmed positive during the quarantine inspection process in Korea.

The KCDC reported that there are seven symptomatic individuals under investigation, including the one confirmed patient. Among them, four have been released from quarantine, and the remaining three are being isolated and monitored. Of the 15 passengers and crew members who were on the same flight as the confirmed patient, 14 have been designated as subjects for active monitoring. Below is a Q&A with Jeong Eun-kyung, Director of the KCDC.

▲ What was the purpose of the confirmed patient’s visit? What is the infection risk for the accompanying persons or fellow passengers on the aircraft?

- The patient visited Korea to travel to Japan and Korea for the Lunar New Year holiday. She was accompanied by about five people. Regarding the infection risk among fellow passengers, we are tracking the patient’s movement similarly to past cases such as MERS and SARS. The flight time appears to be under three hours, and passengers seated in close proximity in front and behind, as well as the flight attendants who cared for the patient, are classified as close contacts and will be managed accordingly. We are currently identifying the full passenger list.

▲ What is the risk of human-to-human transmission?

- The Wuhan city health authorities in China have already stated that transmission within a limited scope, especially among family members, has occurred. Human-to-human transmission is possible, but the extent of infectivity needs to be observed. So far, it is considered that human-to-human transmission is possible within a limited range.

▲ How are people entering from regions outside China being managed?

- Currently, two cases have been officially reported in Beijing and one in Shenzhen, all of whom developed symptoms after visiting Wuhan. The risk of interregional transmission within China still requires close monitoring. The domestic quarantine system monitors all arrivals for fever upon passing through the arrival hall, but detection only occurs if symptoms are present at entry. At this stage, surveillance and response within the community are much more important. It is crucial for local governments and private medical institutions to verify patients’ travel history and promptly conduct confirmatory tests for pneumonia of unknown cause to detect patients early.

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, is giving a briefing on the novel coronavirus infection on the afternoon of the 20th at the Government Complex Sejong in Sejong City.

▲ Is it possible to check for fever on flights transiting through Wuhan?

- For direct flights, quarantine is conducted immediately upon disembarkation. For others, it is done at the arrival hall. Transit passengers’ reservation information is collected as much as possible and shared with medical institutions. It is impossible to quarantine all arrivals from China. Due to the incubation period, symptoms may not be visible at quarantine, or symptoms may be masked by antipyretics. Quarantine is one of several measures, and the focus is shifting toward strengthening community surveillance.

▲ Can the novel coronavirus be tested quickly?

- (Lee Sang-won, Director of Diagnostic Management at KCDC) Currently, the testing method is the pan-coronavirus test, which takes about 12 hours to two days. It involves many manual steps and is technically challenging, so we are seeking improvements. The new testing method, real-time PCR, can detect the virus accurately in a very short time and is expected to be established by early next month. Yesterday afternoon, specimens arrived, and PCR for pan-coronavirus was performed. When a positive result was obtained, the positive material was extracted for nucleotide sequencing. The sequence matched 100% with the virus gene sequence announced by China, confirming the patient. We have shared testing methods developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, and have set diagnostic protocols in consultation with private experts. Currently, only the KCDC can perform the test, but as testing demand is expected to increase, we are planning to expand testing to seven provincial health and environment research institutes.

▲ What is the status of the five accompanying passengers?

- Contact investigations are underway, and so far, no symptoms have been observed.

▲ What tests are being conducted on the three symptomatic individuals currently in isolation?

- Since last week, patients who have visited Wuhan and exhibit fever and respiratory symptoms have been classified as symptomatic and are being tested in isolation. Four have been released from quarantine, three of whom were confirmed to have influenza. The three currently in isolation are being tested today, and results are expected by tomorrow morning.

▲ How is the patient being treated?

- So far, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the novel coronavirus infection. Clinical doctors will decide on symptomatic treatment, including antiviral drugs or antibiotics to prevent secondary infections, based on their judgment.

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