Most COVID-19 Patients Stable, 'Some to Be Discharged Soon'... "Partial Effect of AIDS Treatment Drugs" (Comprehensive)

Screening Clinic for Novel Coronavirus Infection (Wuhan Pneumonia) at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Seongnam/Gyeonggi Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Cho Hyun-ui] "It is not yet the stage to consider discharge; the patient is still undergoing treatment. Although symptoms are decreasing and the condition is stable, the patient is in a sensitive state mentally, possibly due to stress."

Myongji Hospital, which is treating South Korea's third confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), cautiously shared the patient's condition with Asia Economy on the 4th. It was revealed that the patient transmitted the novel coronavirus to someone they ate with before being diagnosed, and the patient is reportedly distressed by the critical comments posted on related news articles. Hospitals and health authorities treating domestic novel coronavirus patients, including this patient, are withholding detailed information about the patients' specific conditions or symptoms. Since information about the virus is still insufficient, information about symptoms and treatment methods is also limited. However, based on related remarks, the overall condition appears to be stable.

◆Authorities: "Several patients nearing discharge"= Patient number 2, whose symptoms have improved, is expected to be discharged this week. Since this is a previously unknown virus, clinical experts are comprehensively reviewing the case, and information about this novel coronavirus case is being compiled. Jeong Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), stated that there are several patients, including this one, who are under consideration for discharge.

Besides this patient, health authorities believe that most patients are in a stable condition with mild symptoms. Most patients were detected in the early stages of symptoms and are reported to have a favorable prognosis. Early symptoms resemble those of the common flu, such as fever, sore throat, and respiratory symptoms. Director Jeong said at a briefing the previous day, "Initially, patients exhibit coughing symptoms, which gradually progress to pneumonia," adding, "In some cases, pneumonia is not detected on X-rays but is confirmed through computed tomography (CT) scans."

Pneumonia is a disease characterized by inflammation of the lungs. Mild cases often do not appear on X-rays, and in the case of these novel coronavirus patients, the symptoms that manifest are reportedly milder than the actual progression of pneumonia. Director Jeong explained, "According to clinicians treating the patients, there is a difference between the severity seen on X-rays or CT scans and the severity experienced or reported by the patients," adding, "Patients report symptoms that are milder than what the imaging findings suggest."

A fever screening test is being conducted for hospital visitors at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. / Seongnam = Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Patient number 12 reported almost no fever or respiratory symptoms but experienced stabbing muscle pain in the early stages, according to epidemiological investigations. This patient, presumed to have been infected after contact with a confirmed case in Japan, only became aware of the contact about a week later and, due to mild symptoms, was active in the community. Patient number 1, who was the first to be confirmed, has also recovered to the extent that pneumonia signs have disappeared and daily life is possible.

Patient number 4, who received oxygen therapy due to pneumonia in the early stages of treatment, was once rumored to have died, but authorities report the condition is not severe. A representative from Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, where patients 4, 12, and 14 are being treated, said, "The patient has been taken off the oxygen respirator and has improved," adding, "Other patients are also in stable condition, showing mild symptoms such as low-grade fever, cough, and sputum."

◆HIV treatment drugs effective again?= There is no treatment specifically targeting the novel coronavirus. Some countries with increasing cases, such as Thailand, are using a combination of antiviral drugs for influenza and HIV treatment. During the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, HIV treatment drugs were also used for some patients. The Chinese government is reportedly conducting clinical trials of treatments developed for infectious diseases like Ebola virus at hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei Province, the outbreak's epicenter.

Since there is no specific treatment, medical staff at hospitals are treating patients symptomatically to alleviate visible symptoms. In severe pneumonia cases, oxygen therapy is administered, and some patients are given antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. Director Jeong said, "There have been reports and cases from other countries where antiviral drugs were administered and found to be effective against the novel coronavirus, so they are being used in treatment," adding, "The Infectious Diseases Society is preparing clinical treatment guidelines, which will be developed by linking domestic and international reports and cases, and will be supplemented and applied through subsequent cases."

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