[Q&A] "No Country Has Controlled COVID-19 After Lifting Social Distancing"

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] As health authorities anticipate the prolonged duration of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), they have urged the public to continue practicing social distancing. This comes from the assessment that awareness of distancing has loosened as new confirmed cases have decreased recently and no large-scale outbreaks have occurred, leading to increased interpersonal contact.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters for COVID-19, emphasized during a regular briefing on the afternoon of the 19th, "No country in the world has yet succeeded in controlling COVID-19 by lifting social distancing or strong lockdown measures," adding, "Many experts expect that until a vaccine is developed, the epidemic will repeatedly worsen and ease over the long term, and in our country, we are currently suppressing the spread into explosive large-scale outbreaks."

While Jung mentioned that a draft of basic guidelines has been prepared with the transition to daily quarantine in mind, she also added the health authorities' position that social distancing is still necessary in places where close contact is unavoidable, such as religious facilities, entertainment venues, academies, and indoor sports facilities.

The following are key Q&A from Head Jung Eun-kyung's briefing that day

- Among the candidate COVID-19 treatments, which drug is expected to be the most effective?

▲ There is still no consensus among experts on which drug is effective against COVID-19. This is because the effectiveness of treatment can vary depending on the patient's characteristics, underlying conditions, immune status, and other factors. Although some studies report that certain drugs show effectiveness, as experts have pointed out, clinical effectiveness can only be determined by comparing with control drugs or by conducting diverse investigations involving more patients. There are many considerations such as side effects and resistance. It is necessary to compile clinical research results and opinions from clinical experts.

- Do you think there is a correlation between the COVID-19 virus and rising temperatures?

▲ Some experts say there is likely no correlation with temperature. Cases occurred even in the Southern Hemisphere during summer, and with MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), we experienced outbreaks in Korea regardless of temperature. However, as temperatures rise, the need for indoor heating decreases and ventilation can be increased, so from a management perspective, rising temperatures may be advantageous.

- Regarding the third extension of high-intensity social distancing, there are differing opinions about easing measures for industries prone to cluster infections.

▲ In places where many people have close contact indoors, such as religious facilities, entertainment venues, indoor sports facilities, and academies, it is still necessary to maintain social distancing measures. There is an opinion that management and monitoring are needed to ensure at least the minimum infection prevention rules are followed.

- When will the specific guidelines for daily quarantine be finalized?

▲ Currently, a draft of the basic guidelines has been prepared and is being reviewed internally and by experts. Since guidelines may vary by sector and location, related ministries are refining the daily quarantine rules for facilities under their jurisdiction. Because the public has questions and opinions, an initial round of feedback has been received, and the process of gathering opinions continues until April 26. Since outdoor and indoor rules may differ and there is diversity by sector, while basic guidelines exist, they are being refined in detail for practical daily application.

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