[Q&A] "Expanded COVID-19 Testing for High-Risk Groups in Areas with Unclear Infection Routes"

Soldiers from the Army 2nd Operations Command are conducting disinfection work in front of Hansarang Nursing Hospital in Seo-gu, Daegu.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] On the 17th, the government announced that it is considering expanding COVID-19 diagnostic testing for high-risk groups within regions where the first infection route of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients has not been identified, such as Yecheon in Gyeongbuk and Pocheon in Gyeonggi.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, said at a briefing on the same day, "There may be local infections in Yecheon and Pocheon, so we are strengthening the surveillance system through medical institutions to detect unidentified cases early," adding, "For high-risk groups such as nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, we are strengthening investigations and infection control as necessary."

She also stated, "We are currently reviewing plans with the Central Accident Response Headquarters to strengthen testing for high-risk groups, focusing on areas where infections have occurred to some extent, targeting newly admitted patients or those with suspected symptoms."

Jung Eun-kyung, Head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters

The following is a Q&A with Director Jung at the briefing.

- You have mentioned the risk of cluster infections in religious and entertainment facilities. If quarantine guidelines are relaxed to a recommended level, won't the effectiveness of social distancing decrease?

▲ Currently, the government, local governments, and experts from various fields are gathering opinions and reviewing the matter. Religious and entertainment facilities are considered high-risk due to being enclosed and close-contact spaces. We believe it is essential to ensure compliance with infectious disease prevention guidelines to some extent.

- Is the first patient in the Yecheon cluster infection presumed to be the son?

▲ We are currently conducting an epidemiological investigation together with local governments. The presumption that the son was infected first among the family is based on the earlier onset date. If symptoms were absent or mild, the onset date could change with further investigation. For now, we are investigating the infection route based on the possibility that the earliest onset date indicates the first exposure to infection.

- How do you assess the risk of infection in swimming pools?

▲ There is a risk because it is difficult to wear masks and the facility is enclosed. We are currently developing living quarantine guidelines by identifying appropriate measures tailored to each facility's characteristics. We will create guidelines specialized for swimming pools based on feedback from facility operators and experts.

- How many patients have an unidentified infection route?

▲ Overall, about 9.6% (1,019 people) of patients fall into this category. Daegu accounts for 719 cases, and Gyeongbuk for 134 cases, which are relatively high. We expect reclassification as past data is organized. Based on the last two weeks, there are 18 cases, about 3.1%. Recently, many cases with confirmed infection routes are imported from overseas. However, 18 is not a small number. Each case indicates that infection has occurred and that the source of infection exists in the community. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen epidemiological investigations and surveillance systems.

- There are conflicting opinions among ministries regarding the extension of social distancing. What is the stance of the quarantine authorities?

▲ The high-intensity social distancing period ends this Sunday. The decision on extension is being discussed with related ministries, local governments, and experts, while the quarantine authorities are analyzing and evaluating the risk of community infection. It is fortunate that the number of patients has decreased for four consecutive days, but this scale reflects exposure risk from a week or ten days ago. It is difficult to predict infection risk two to three weeks ahead. It is true that opinions vary among ministries and agencies. We are discussing these aspects to wisely, efficiently, and scientifically determine whether effective containment is possible at this point.

- What does it mean that the virus from re-positive patients was not cultured?

▲ Six initial specimens obtained from re-positive patients underwent culture tests, but the virus did not grow. This means that no live virus was detected, and the PCR test may have detected remnants of dead virus rather than live virus. Alternatively, the viral load might have been very low. In any case, since live virus was not confirmed, it is considered that the infectivity is low. Infectivity will be assessed comprehensively, including virus isolation culture tests and examining cases where contacts exposed after re-positivity have been confirmed positive.

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