"One of the New Coronavirus Patients at Seoul National University Hospital to Be Discharged Soon" (Update)

On the afternoon of the 7th, the Central Clinical Task Force (TF) for COVID-19 held a briefing on the clinical treatment status amid the increase in confirmed cases at the research building of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] One of the four confirmed domestic cases of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) currently hospitalized in isolation at Seoul National University Hospital is expected to be discharged soon.

Kim Nam-joong, professor of infectious diseases at Seoul National University Hospital and the attending physician of this patient, said at a press conference of the Central Clinical Task Force (TF) held at the National Medical Center on the 7th, "The condition of the four patients currently being treated at Seoul National University Hospital is relatively stable," and "One of them will be able to be discharged soon." Currently, patients number 6, 10, 11, and 21 are hospitalized and receiving isolated treatment at Seoul National University Hospital, but the identity of the patient about to be discharged was not disclosed.

Clinical experts have evaluated that the severity of the novel coronavirus is lower than that of the previous Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Bang Ji-hwan, head of the Central Clinical TF team for the novel coronavirus infection at the National Medical Center (and director of the Central Infectious Disease Hospital Operation Center), said at the Central Disease Control Headquarters briefing that "During MERS, many patients required ventilators, and many had kidney failure requiring dialysis, but so far, there appear to be no severe cases of the novel coronavirus."

However, the transmissibility of the novel coronavirus is analyzed to be rapid. Transmissibility means that the shorter the time between the first patient and the occurrence of secondary infections, the faster the virus spreads, and this time is shorter for the novel coronavirus compared to SARS and MERS.

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