'False Instructor' Related Confirmed Cases Surge... "Community Transmission Has Become a Reality"

'False Instructor' Infection Cases Rise to 25
Including 3 Family Members of Taxi Driver and a Learning Tutor
Experts: "Nth Transmission Ongoing... Community Spread Becoming a Reality"

According to Incheon City on the 13th, a total of 8 people were confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus infection, including 2 from Yeonsu-gu, 3 from Michuhol-gu, and 3 from Jung-gu. The 8 confirmed cases on that day were identified as contacts of Mr. A, a tutor at Seum Academy located in Michuhol-gu, who was confirmed positive on the 9th after visiting Itaewon clubs. The photo shows Seum Academy in Michuhol-gu, Incheon on that day. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] A surge of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has been occurring, starting from an Incheon academy instructor who visited a club in Itaewon, Seoul.

In particular, instructor A concealed the fact that he was an academy instructor during the initial epidemiological investigation after testing positive on the 9th, falsely claiming to be unemployed and misleading the investigation by hiding his movements and identity.

Experts point out that local transmission has effectively become a reality as additional confirmed cases emerged from a karaoke room visited by the instructor’s students.

Considering the maximum incubation period of 14 days, it is expected that the number of contacts will increase, and diagnostic testing is deemed essential to prevent further spread.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters and Incheon City on the 19th, a private taxi driver B (49), residing in Michuhol-gu, used a coin karaoke room located in Yonghyeon-dong from 8 PM to 9 PM on the 6th along with his son C (17).

They stayed for about an hour at the coin karaoke room that a student infected by the academy instructor had visited on the same day.

Meanwhile, B’s son C and B’s wife, who is also C’s mother, D (46), tested positive in the morning of the same day. D works as a home tutor and has been in contact with 30 colleagues and 34 students, according to investigations.

Thus, the number of local infection cases linked to the instructor has increased to 25, including 12 students and 13 adults.

On the 19th, four nurses at Samsung Seoul Hospital were confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus infection, while citizens are undergoing COVID-19 testing at the hospital's screening clinic.
Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Additionally, a Chinese couple who took the taxi used by instructor A also tested positive for COVID-19.

Moreover, the taxi driver E (66) and E’s grandson have also tested positive, resulting in a series of fourth-generation infection cases.

As a result, there are concerns that contacts could become new sources of infection, leading to so-called 'Nth-generation infections.'

Currently, with fourth-generation infections reported mainly among people and places connected to the Itaewon club cases, anxiety is growing that this could escalate into a full-scale outbreak.

Meanwhile, local cluster infections, though small in scale, continue to persist.

As of midnight on the 19th, among the 274 confirmed cases reported in the past two weeks, 174 cases (63.5%) were from local cluster outbreaks, 79 cases (28.8%) were imported, 16 cases (5.8%) are under investigation, and 5 cases (1.8%) were contacts of previously confirmed patients.

This shows that local community transmission has significantly progressed compared to a period when imported cases outnumbered domestic cases.

Experts point out that community transmission has effectively become a reality.

Professor Kim Wooju of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital explained, "With the occurrence of fourth-generation infections linked to the club, many are asking if community transmission has begun. However, since patients with unknown infection routes have been recorded even before this, it can be seen that community transmission has already occurred." He added, "The problem is especially that many cases have unclear infection routes. Therefore, vigilance must not be relaxed."

Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center commented on concerns about an Nth-generation large-scale outbreak, saying, "The conditions for a large-scale outbreak are already present. While a large-scale outbreak is certainly possible, epidemiological investigation information is still insufficient to determine how far and how extensively transmission has occurred." He advised, "People who are judged to have a possibility of infection should actively participate in testing as soon as possible."

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