"There Is a High Possibility of Travelers Unaware of Infection Like the 23rd Confirmed Case"

On the afternoon of the 5th, people who stayed at the same hospital as COVID-19 confirmed cases number 16 and 18 entered the temporary quarantine facility set up at the dormitory of Gwangju Gwangsan-gu Gwangju Fire Academy.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Professor Lee Jaegab of Hallym University Gangnam Sacred Heart Hospital predicted that there is a high possibility that foreign tourists staying in Korea, like the 23rd confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), are unaware of their infection.

On the 7th, in a phone interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyunjung's News Show,' Professor Lee said, "It seems that the 23rd confirmed case took the last flight just before the Wuhan lockdown, and I heard that there are 30 people who came from Wuhan like this but cannot be contacted," adding, "I am worried because there is still a high possibility that such people exist."

He continued, "Most of the diagnosed cases are people who came from Wuhan, Hubei, and once confirmed, they are being placed under self-quarantine," emphasizing, "However, if those who cannot be contacted continue to move around the local community without knowing whether they have symptoms, they could become the source of community infection, so caution is necessary."

Professor Lee said, "Although the number of entrants has decreased, more than 10,000 people still enter. It took quite a long time to investigate 3,000 people, and among them, there are people who were not diagnosed. It is impossible to find all the people who came from China," but urged, "It is time to start active publicity through Chinese communities and broadcasting channels watched by Chinese people."

Meanwhile, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 23rd confirmed case is a 58-year-old Chinese woman who entered the country for tourism purposes on the 23rd of last month. While tracking foreigners from Wuhan whose whereabouts were unknown, on the 5th, the Seodaemun-gu Public Health Center requested an on-site investigation of the residence, and an epidemiological investigation was conducted on all eight Chinese people who were staying together at the accommodation. Except for the woman in question, the other seven tested negative and were placed under self-quarantine at the guesthouse where they were staying.

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