COVID-19 Medical Staff: "Mild Patients Should Switch to Self-Quarantine Treatment Instead of Hospitalization"

Central Clinical Committee for Emerging Infectious Diseases Composed of COVID-19 Medical Staff
"Medical resources must be efficiently managed according to severity to reduce deaths and other damages"
Mild patients show minimal symptoms... Need for focused treatment such as isolation beds mainly for severe patients

Oh Myung-don, Chairman of the Central Clinical Committee (far left), is speaking at a press conference of the Central Clinical Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases held at the National Medical Center on the 26th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Daeyeol] Medical staff treating domestic patients with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have pointed out the need to revise the medical system so that patients with mild symptoms do not get hospitalized but instead receive treatment under self-quarantine. This is based on the judgment that, given the limited facilities and personnel available to treat COVID-19 patients and the rapid increase in cases, it is necessary to focus treatment on severe patients to minimize damage.

On the 26th, the Central Clinical Committee for Emerging Infectious Diseases held a press conference and stated, "As COVID-19 spreads nationwide, an effective response system must be established." The committee, composed of attending physicians and medical staff treating COVID-19 patients, explained that this conclusion was reached after reviewing recent domestic and international patient trends and the condition of hospitalized patients.

Chairman Oh Myungdon (Professor of Infectious Diseases at Seoul National University Hospital) said, "According to investigations in China, over 80% of patients have mild symptoms, and even when including severe patients, there were no deaths. Mild patients should be treated at home, and medical resources should be efficiently utilized by treating severe patients?such as those with progressing pneumonia?at secondary and tertiary medical institutions to save more patients."

According to data cited by the committee from Chinese disease control authorities, the fatality rate of COVID-19 varies by severity. Among 38,160 mild patients and 6,168 relatively severe patients, there were no deaths, while about half (1,023) of 2,087 critically ill patients died. Chairman Oh explained, "The criteria for severe patients in China include oxygen saturation above 93% and pneumonia infiltration over 50%, indicating significant pneumonia progression. Unlike other pneumonias, COVID-19 patients tend to be relatively stable and in better condition."

Omyeongdon, Chair of the Central Clinical Committee (from the left in the photo), Bang Jihwan, Director of the Central Infectious Disease Hospital Operations Center, Lee Sohee, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the National Medical Center, and Go Imseok, Deputy Director of Medical Services at the National Medical Center, are speaking at the Central Clinical Committee press conference on emerging infectious diseases held at the National Medical Center on the 26th.

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In Daegu and Gyeongbuk, the rapid increase in patients over a short period has led to a critical shortage of hospital beds for inpatient treatment. Nationally designated negative pressure isolation beds are already full, and negative pressure beds in medical centers and private hospitals are being used. Some hospitals, including Daegu Medical Center, have expanded to multi-patient rooms to accommodate COVID-19 patients. It is reported that over 100 patients are constantly waiting for admission due to the lack of available beds even after testing positive.

As frontline medical institutions become overwhelmed, the possibility that severe patients may not receive timely treatment has increased. There have been multiple deaths before and after confirmation of infection among patients hospitalized at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk, highlighting recent human losses over the past week. However, health authorities maintain the principle of continuing the current system where all patients are hospitalized and treated in separate facilities regardless of symptom severity.

Bang Ji-hwan, Director of the Central Infectious Disease Hospital Operation Center, said, "We are continuously discussing with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and other quarantine authorities, and internally we are in the process of establishing related criteria. There are also opinions that it is premature, so it is difficult to know at this time whether it can actually be implemented or when it might happen."

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