"COVID-19, Timely and Appropriate Treatment Needed to Reduce Deaths and Complications"

Interview with Choi Won-seok, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Ansan Hospital

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Choi Won-seok, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Korea University Ansan Hospital

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] "Considering the transmissibility of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), complete eradication of the virus cannot be the goal. Rather, the focus should be on timely appropriate management and treatment of severe patients to reduce damage such as death or complications."

Professor Choi Won-seok, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Ansan Hospital (photo), said this during a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 10th. He called for realistic quarantine measures in response to the surge of COVID-19 cluster infections nationwide. Professor Choi explained, "COVID-19 has high transmissibility, and a significant amount of virus is shed from the early stages of symptoms, during which the patient may not even be aware of it," adding, "It is impossible to completely block transmission."

◆ "Minimizing damage should be the goal" = This means that adequate measures for confirmed cases are key to reducing the spread of COVID-19. According to Daegu City, one out of three confirmed cases in the region is self-isolating while waiting after being diagnosed. As of the previous day, among 5,445 confirmed cases, 1,858 were self-isolating without being admitted to hospitals or residential treatment centers. Professor Choi said, "When many patients occur, there are often cases where medical treatment is not properly received," and emphasized, "Proper management of severe patients should be carried out to focus on reducing damage such as increased deaths or complications."

He stressed that regions outside Daegu, where cluster outbreaks are not occurring or are small in scale, should also remain vigilant. This is because if a new super-spreader emerges, there is a risk of damage escalating to a level similar to the second Daegu and Gyeongbuk outbreaks. Even in Seoul alone, cluster infections have occurred at Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital (14 cases) and a residential-commercial complex in Seongdong-gu (13 cases). Professor Choi warned, "Regions other than Daegu must also focus on managing confirmed cases," adding, "Especially in densely populated areas, patient numbers can surge like in Daegu and Gyeongbuk."

◆ "Consider strengthening quarantine" = The World Health Organization (WHO) has also warned that "the threat of a COVID-19 pandemic has become very real," raising concerns that importation cases may occur until the global outbreak ends. Professor Choi stated, "In the situation where COVID-19 is heading toward a pandemic, even if we block domestic importation from affected countries, it is impossible to halt trade with all countries." He noted that while airport quarantine can be strengthened, outright entry bans are unlikely.

There are also calls to expand special entry procedures currently applied to arrivals from China and Japan. It is demanded that these procedures be applied to countries with rapidly spreading outbreaks such as Italy and Iran. Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, said, "There is a definite possibility that COVID-19 could be imported from countries other than China."

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