Coronavirus Negative-Tested Army Private... What About Contacts?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] A private first class in the army who came into contact with the 12th confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection in South Korea has tested negative.

On the 4th, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "At around 10:10 PM the previous day, we were notified by the Gangwon-do Institute of Health and Environment that the test result for Private First Class A of an army unit, who was confirmed to have come into contact with the 12th confirmed case, was negative."

Private First Class A rode the same elevator as the 12th confirmed case at a resort in Gangneung City with his parents while on leave on the 23rd of last month. The military learned of Private A's contact after receiving a call from his parents, who were informed of this fact by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) at around 4 PM the previous day. Private A returned to his unit on the 23rd, the day of contact with the 12th confirmed case, and has shown no particular symptoms to date.

Following the KCDC guidelines, the unit immediately quarantined a total of eight personnel, including Private A, in the unit's medical office. None of the eight have shown any symptoms.

Private A’s specimen was collected at the Inje Public Health Center in Gangwon-do and tested at the Gangwon-do Institute of Health and Environment. The remaining seven personnel from the living quarters had their specimens collected and are being tested at the Armed Forces Medical Research Institute. The test results for the seven are expected as early as the 4th. Currently, Private A is isolated at the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, which has a negative pressure isolation ward, and the other personnel have been transferred to an isolation facility at the Armed Forces Hongcheon Hospital, where they will remain quarantined until the 6th. Although Private A tested negative, he will remain in quarantine until the 6th considering the incubation period.

The 12th confirmed case is a 49-year-old Chinese male who tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was isolated and hospitalized at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital. After returning to Gimpo Airport from Japan, the 12th confirmed case visited a duty-free shop in Jung-gu, Seoul, a theater in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, a cafe, restaurant, and lodging in Gangneung, and a relative’s house in Gunpo.

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