"It's Not Like I'm the Only One Having Fun" 2030 COVID-19 Indifference vs. 5060 'Anxiety'

Half of the 2030 Generation Say "COVID-19 Infection Depends on Luck"
Experts Emphasize "Following Daily Quarantine Rules Is Important"

On the 10th, when Seoul City issued a 'gathering ban order' for all entertainment facilities in the city following the Itaewon club COVID-19 cluster infection incident, a gathering ban notice was posted at the Itaewon club known to have been visited by confirmed cases. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "COVID-19 is scary, but don't people who want to go out just go out?", "I'm not the only one having fun."

Office worker Kim (26) said, "Since no one around me has been infected with COVID-19, I feel like the place I'm in is safe," adding, "I always wear a mask and regularly use hand sanitizer, so I often think it should be fine to go outside."

He continued, "It's frustrating not knowing when COVID-19 will subside. At first, I followed social distancing well, but as this situation continues, it's true that my vigilance has decreased."

Although confirmed cases related to Itaewon clubs are concentrated among people in their 20s and 30s, the risk is actually increasing for the elderly. COVID-19 is fatal to the elderly or those with underlying conditions who have weaker immune systems compared to the younger generation, who often experience mild or asymptomatic infections.

Also, the 20s and 30s generation, who have lower awareness of COVID-19 compared to other age groups, can become 'silent spreaders' (asymptomatic confirmed cases) and may infect their elderly parents, so caution is required. Experts suggest that it is important for young people to strictly follow daily quarantine guidelines.

The majority of confirmed cases related to Itaewon clubs are identified as young people. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 11th, among 86 confirmed patients, 58 were in their 20s and 18 in their 30s, totaling 76 people in their 20s and 30s. There were 3 people each in their 40s and 50s, and 1 person aged 60 or older. About 30% of them were asymptomatic infections.

The problem lies in the high possibility that people in their 20s and 30s act as carriers transmitting the virus to their parents.

On the previous day (the 11th), a woman in her 50s, the mother of a man in his 20s living in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, who was confirmed positive after visiting Itaewon clubs, was also diagnosed with COVID-19.

Kang (56), who has two children, said, "People in their 20s and 30s are young and have strong immunity, but their parents and grandparents do not," adding, "The younger generation enjoys momentary pleasure, but the cost is very heavy. It's unfortunate that such incidents happen just as the situation was about to calm down."

He continued, "I heard that some young people get infected asymptomatically, so I worry whether my children might go out and come back infected," adding, "I want to tell them to stay home, but since I know they will go out anyway, all I can say is 'Wear your mask properly' and 'Wash your hands frequently.'"

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

Compared to the high concerns among the elderly, young people tend to perceive COVID-19 infection as a matter of 'luck.'

According to a survey conducted by Professor Yoo Myeongsoon's research team at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health and the Seoul Institute targeting 813 Seoul citizens aged 18 and older, 54% of people in their 20s and 62% in their 30s answered 'Yes' to the question, 'Is whether I get infected a matter of some degree of luck?' In contrast, 42.8% of people in their 40s, 43.8% in their 50s, and 38.3% in their 60s viewed infection as luck, showing that younger generations are much more likely to consider infection a matter of luck.

Choi (25), a student attending a university in Seoul, also said, "There is a lot of noise about COVID-19 in the news, but I don't think I will get infected."

He said, "At first, since it was said to be highly contagious, I always wore a mask. But as time passed, my vigilance relaxed," adding, "Sometimes I forget and go out without a mask. If it were the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, I would have gone home to get a mask, but these days I don't go that far."

Experts suggest that it is important to strictly follow daily quarantine guidelines, especially in such situations.

Professor Kim Wooju of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "Recently, the government shifted to a daily distancing system. It seems that young people misunderstood this system. The daily quarantine system does not mean returning to normal life before COVID-19," adding, "Looking at the Itaewon club situation, it is highly likely that they acted as if there was no distancing at all, like before COVID-19."

He emphasized, "You should not only wash your hands and wear a mask when necessary. You must continuously follow rules such as keeping a distance of more than 2 meters, washing hands, and wearing masks."

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