The second 'fully recovered' patient is a 'model patient' who self-isolated... Discharged within the week

Not Subject to Quarantine After Returning Home but Tested Positive After Staying Home and Reporting
No Contact with Others Prevented Local Transmission
Discharge Expected as Early as This Week Once Full Recovery Confirmed

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The response of Patient No. 2, who is considered the first discharged case among domestic patients infected with the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia), is drawing renewed attention. He worked in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and returned home via Shanghai on the 22nd of last month. Although he was not subject to quarantine upon entry, he voluntarily stayed at home and reported himself, leading to a confirmed diagnosis. By minimizing contact with others, he prevented community transmission. This case highlights the importance of patient response during an epidemic crisis and is regarded as a 'model patient' case. Since Patient No. 2 is now confirmed to be fully recovered, he is expected to be discharged within this week.

◆Voluntary Quarantine 'Model Case'= According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 4th, Patient No. 2 (55 years old, Korean) has recovered from symptoms and tested negative for the novel coronavirus, prompting health authorities to consider his discharge. In infectious diseases, a patient is considered cured if two virus tests conducted 24 hours apart both return negative results. The same criteria were applied during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak. Jeong Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated at a briefing the previous day, "After various tests, we confirmed significant improvement and discontinued antiviral medication," adding, "We will finalize the discharge decision after comprehensive consultation with clinicians and case review."

This patient, who had been working in Wuhan since April last year, had some symptoms such as sore throat and body aches before entering the country. He visited a local medical institution on the 19th of last month before entry, but his body temperature was normal at that time. He left Wuhan on the 22nd, passed through Shanghai, and entered through Gimpo Airport. During the entry quarantine process, a fever was detected by a thermal camera, and he underwent quarantine inspection on-site. Although he had a fever (37.8°C) and sore throat upon entry, he had no respiratory symptoms and was classified as a subject for active monitoring. At that time, only those with both fever and respiratory symptoms were considered symptomatic subjects for detailed examination. Active monitoring involved checking symptoms via phone calls from the health center on days 1, 2, and 7 to determine if additional testing was necessary.

◆Discharge Possible Within This Week if Full Recovery Confirmed= The patient took a taxi from the airport to his home and was confirmed to have stayed only at home. On the day after his return, the 23rd of last month, his sore throat worsened, and he contacted the health center to receive examination at a screening clinic. An X-ray showed signs of bronchitis, and the epidemiological investigator classified him as a symptomatic subject for investigation. A novel coronavirus test was immediately conducted, and he was confirmed positive on the morning of the 24th. Since then, he has been isolated and treated at the National Medical Center. Although the number of contacts was somewhat high at 75, most were close passengers on the airplane, airport staff, and health center workers, representing routine contact levels. Seven people classified as close contacts, including the patient's family, tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

During the epidemiological investigation conducted before and after confirmation, the patient provided detailed accounts of his symptoms and the situation in Wuhan, China, and appeared to have been aware of his own risk of infection by reducing external contacts. This contrasts with some patients who, even after symptoms appeared, met acquaintances or were active in the community at places like movie theaters and large supermarkets. Patient No. 12, for example, was found to have contacted 361 people over about ten days after muscle pain symptoms appeared. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained, "Patient No. 2 stated that although he did not visit seafood markets while in Wuhan, a Chinese colleague he worked with had cold symptoms." Since Patient No. 2 is considered to be in good condition, it is expected that he can be discharged within this week.

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