Recovered Cases Surpass Confirmed Cases... First Reversal 54 Days After COVID-19 Outbreak

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The number of people in South Korea who were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and have completed treatment and been released from quarantine reached 510 as of the 13th.

On the previous day alone, 177 people were released from quarantine, surpassing the number of newly confirmed cases (110) for the first time since the confirmed case count began. While the increase in new patient numbers is slowing down, the number of recovered patients is expected to steadily rise from this point onward. This is because about three weeks have passed since the rapid surge of patients began in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, and a significant number of patients are expected to meet the criteria for release from quarantine.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, as of 0:00 on this day, 177 patients were newly released from quarantine, nearly four times the 45 patients released the day before. This is the first time that the daily number of patients released from quarantine has reached the 100s. Since the first confirmed case was reported on January 20 in South Korea, the second patient was the first to be discharged after release from quarantine on the 5th of last month.

Since then, some of the initial patients were discharged at intervals of several days, and even this month, between about 10 and several dozen patients have been discharged daily. Patients currently undergoing treatment are hospitalized in negative pressure isolation rooms or infectious disease specialized hospitals, or are receiving treatment while admitted to residential treatment centers. In Daegu, where patients surged rapidly in a short period, some patients are also under self-quarantine.

On the afternoon of the 11th, four family members who were receiving treatment in Gwangju at Bitgoeul Jeonnam National University Hospital in Nam-gu, Gwangju, were discharged to their home in Daegu after fully recovering through the 'Moonlight Alliance Bed Sharing' program.

The increase in the number of people released from quarantine is interpreted as being due to the relaxation of the criteria in the confirmed patient management guidelines. At the beginning of this month, the quarantine release criteria were changed so that patients could be discharged regardless of the virus test results if clinical symptoms such as fever and cough had improved. Previously, patients had to be completely free of clinical symptoms for 48 hours and receive virus tests at one-day intervals with negative results before discharge.

Among the 7,402 patients currently in quarantine, about 90% are in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, and the authorities judge that about 80-90% of these are in mild condition. Many young patients or those without underlying diseases recover without special treatment. Especially since the 14th marks three weeks since the surge of confirmed cases began in Daegu and Gyeongbuk on the 22nd of last month, the authorities expect an increase in the number of asymptomatic mild patients meeting the criteria for release from quarantine and being discharged or released from facilities.

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