Authorities: "Patient 25 Unlikely to Have Asymptomatic Infection" (Comprehensive)

Patient 25, No China Visit but 9 Additional Confirmed Cases on the 9th
"High Possibility of Infection from Contact with Family Member Showing Mild Symptoms"

Screening clinic set up at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Seongnam/Gyeonggi Province Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters announced on the 9th regarding the 25th confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) that "the infection route is currently under investigation, but it is presumed to be transmitted within the family after the daughter-in-law developed symptoms first."

At a briefing on the same day, Jeong Eun-kyung, director of the KCDC, stated, "It is not a case of contact during the asymptomatic period, and since the daughter-in-law developed respiratory symptoms first, it is presumed to have originated from her." The 25th confirmed patient is a 73-year-old Korean woman who did not travel to China. However, her son and daughter-in-law, who live with her, returned from Guangdong Province, China, on the 31st of last month. Guangdong Province had 1,075 confirmed novel coronavirus cases as of the previous day, making it the region with the second highest number of cases in China after Hubei Province.

According to the health authorities, the daughter-in-law had a mild cough starting from the 4th. The 25th patient visited a nearby screening clinic on the afternoon of the 8th and was tested, receiving a positive result that morning. Tests for the son and daughter-in-law began that morning, and the results are currently awaited, the KCDC reported. The couple had been in China since November of last year, but their movements there have not yet been disclosed.

Regarding the 25th patient, it is currently understood that infection likely occurred when symptoms were absent or mild, prompting health authorities to closely monitor the investigation results. While acknowledging that infectivity can appear from the early mild stages, the possibility of airborne transmission is considered quite low. Director Jeong stated, "Along with MERS and SARS, the novel coronavirus is presumed to be primarily transmitted through droplets (small droplets caused by saliva, etc.)," adding, "All expert opinions so far agree that 'airborne transmission in the community is almost nonexistent.'"

She continued, "Rarely, aerosols can be generated during respiratory-related medical procedures in hospital settings, so airborne transmission may be possible in limited environments, but there is no evidence of airborne transmission in the community yet," and added, "The German case often cited as an example of asymptomatic transmission was acknowledged by the German investigation team to have some errors." Furthermore, health authorities believe that many patients exhibit minimal symptoms such as cough or fever after infection, so the patients themselves may perceive themselves as asymptomatic.

The 25th patient confirmed on this day is the oldest among the cases reported in Korea so far, but Director Jeong conveyed that the patient is currently in a stable condition according to the attending medical staff. She said, "Regions such as Guangdong and Zhejiang, where many cases have occurred, are considered to have a risk of community transmission following Hubei Province," but added, "Since residents from Hubei Province spread to other regions during the Lunar New Year period, the distribution within China is widespread, so additional investigation is needed to determine any risk factors."

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