Taking the Bus to the Pharmacy... Fourth Confirmed Patient Contacted at Least 96 People

New Coronavirus Quarantine Network with Holes
Exposed to Local Community for Nearly a Week

On the 28th, as concerns about the spread intensified with the fourth confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection, quarantine officials at Incheon International Airport conducted screenings on arrivals from Tianjin, China. Starting that day, health authorities mandated the submission of a 'Health Status Questionnaire' from all entrants coming from China to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It has been revealed that the fourth confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) in Korea came into contact with 96 people over nearly a week after entering the country. This patient used buses and taxis and also visited local clinics and pharmacies, making it impossible to rule out the possibility of community transmission.

The fourth patient is a 55-year-old Korean man residing in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, who visited Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China for tourism purposes on the 5th and returned on the 20th. He was classified as a symptomatic person under investigation on the 26th and was confirmed positive on the 27th.

On the 28th, Pyeongtaek City stated in a press briefing, "According to the epidemiological investigation results so far, the fourth confirmed patient came into contact with 96 people, of whom 32 were classified as close contacts."

According to Pyeongtaek City, the patient departed for Wuhan City, China on the 5th of this month, stayed until the 20th, and returned home using an airport bus and taxi. The next day, he visited Clinic A in Pyeongtaek with cold symptoms and received treatment. After mostly staying at home, he visited Clinic A again on the 25th, obtained a prescription at a nearby pharmacy, and returned home.

Since Clinic A reported the suspected patient to the local health center, Pyeongtaek City has been conducting active monitoring of this patient from that time. On the morning of the 26th, as symptoms did not improve, he was examined at a screening clinic set up by the health center and was transferred to Bundang Seoul National University Hospital for isolation.

Concerns about secondary infection are also growing. Pyeongtaek City is currently checking the fever status of close contacts more than twice a day and monitoring their condition. For 64 casual contacts, fever checks are conducted daily while monitoring them.

Kim Young-ho, director of the Pyeongtaek City Health Center, explained regarding the fact that the patient was not reported as a suspected case when he visited the medical institution on the 20th, "The hospital and clinic prescription system allows checking of entry and exit status, but why the clinic was unaware of this is still under investigation due to conflicting claims from both sides."

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