[Q&A] Authorities: "COVID-19 Blood Clotting Symptoms to Be Reviewed Domestically"

On the 23rd, the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul resumed Mass, which had been suspended for over two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mass was held at Yeouido Cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul on this day. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Regarding the symptom of blood clotting observed in patients infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), our quarantine authorities have decided to review the matter together with clinical medical staff.

On the 23rd briefing, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, stated, "We will review through the Central Clinical Committee whether there have been cases of blood coagulation in COVID-19 patients domestically and what significance such cases might have."

According to foreign media, blood clots have been found in the blood of some COVID-19 patients being treated at major university hospitals in the United States. Blood clots are products formed when blood hardens and can block blood vessels, causing various diseases. However, it is still unclear how these symptoms appeared and whether they are due to virus mutations. Deputy Head Kwon said, "Further investigation is needed regarding the presumed causes," adding, "We check virus mutations daily, but so far, no mutations in critical regions have been observed domestically."

The following is a Q&A with Deputy Head Kwon during the briefing.

- What is the medical basis for anticipating a second wave this fall?

▲ There are overseas papers and reports indicating that even in regions with significant outbreaks, antibody formation is not very high. Assuming that Korea has fewer patients relative to its population, the likelihood of a higher antibody formation rate than abroad is low. Although antibody formation rates need to be investigated, if they are not high, the possibility of an outbreak always exists. The fact that the pandemic continues worldwide suggests that outbreaks are inevitable, like colds that come at specific times. Relatively low fatality rates and high basic reproduction numbers are characteristics optimized to cause a pandemic.

- How far has the preparation for plasma therapy progressed?

▲ Plasma containing neutralizing antibodies is collected, and when this plasma is administered to other COVID-19 patients, the neutralizing antibodies within fight and overcome the virus, leading to treatment. Plasma therapy involves transfusing convalescent plasma, a concept similar to component blood donation, where the amount of antibodies is precisely measured and purified like a drug. The U.S. National Institutes of Health has stated in related guidelines that the effectiveness has not yet been clearly proven. Nevertheless, joint research began last month, and currently, companies capable of producing plasma therapy products are recruiting donors publicly. The goal is to conduct clinical trials to attempt actual treatment using secured plasma by the end of July. Treatment guidelines were established and implemented last week, and so far, only about three cases have been conducted.

- Are there any concerns from the quarantine authorities regarding the reopening of schools from elementary to high school?

▲ In the case of influenza, looking at other countries' experiences, outbreaks typically intensify initially among children and young age groups, then spread to the community through households. Singapore has stated that the rise in cases was not due to school reopening but rather due to foreign workers entering the country who were not well managed domestically. However, past experiences in advanced quarantine countries that attempted school reopening have also shown unfavorable results. We consider schools to be the most important places in implementing daily quarantine measures.

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