"New Coronavirus Patients #3 and #4, Symptoms Disappear... Discharge Date Undecided"

A notice prohibiting visits and controlling access is posted at the main building of Seoul National University Hospital. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 8th that the symptoms of patient number 3 (54-year-old male, Korean) and patient number 4 (55-year-old male, Korean) among the confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have disappeared. However, they emphasized that no patients are scheduled to be discharged on that day.

At the regular briefing that day, Kwak Jin, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Patient Management Team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said, "Patient number 3 is generally in good condition, and subjective symptoms have almost resolved," and "Patient number 4 is also stable, and subjective symptoms have nearly disappeared, so we are planning discharge based on test results."

He added, "Isolation release is done after 48 hours of symptom improvement, with two genetic tests conducted, and if both are negative, the patient is released," explaining, "This means there is no infectivity and no risk of transmitting the virus to others, which is separate from discharge considerations such as underlying diseases and sequelae."

Accordingly, it is known that no patients are scheduled to be discharged on that day. Patients number 3 and 4 were confirmed on the 26th and 27th of last month, respectively, and are currently hospitalized at Myongji Hospital and Bundang Seoul National University Hospital.

Among the 24 confirmed domestic cases, patients number 1 and 2 have been discharged. On the 7th, Professor Kim Nam-joong, an infectious disease specialist at Seoul National University Hospital, who is treating patients hospitalized there, stated, "One of the four patients may be discharged soon."

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