Jeonnam Province Proposes Manual for Convenience Stores to Guide 'Fever Reducer Buyers' to Screening Clinics

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced on the 2nd that it proposed to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for COVID-19 to establish a nationwide common response manual that guides people to screening clinics when purchasing antipyretics and cold medicine at convenience stores.

Generally, when symptoms such as fever, runny nose, or cough occur, people visit hospitals or clinics, or purchase and take antipyretics or cold medicine at pharmacies or convenience stores.

Patients visiting hospitals and pharmacies are advised by doctors and pharmacists to visit screening clinics if they have COVID-19 symptoms, but it has been pointed out that at convenience stores, symptomatic individuals can purchase medicine without any guidance.

Accordingly, the province has instructed convenience stores in the region to guide residents to receive COVID-19 consultation and testing at city or county screening clinics when purchasing antipyretics and cold medicine, and to post notices to that effect.

In fact, last month in Gwangyang City, a confirmed case who had fever symptoms took antipyretics and went to work and daily activities, causing additional infections to three people.

Currently, there are 1,122 convenience stores in the Jeonnam area. The total number of over-the-counter medicines available at convenience stores is 13 types, including 5 types of antipyretic analgesics, 2 types of cold medicine, 4 types of digestive medicine, and 2 types of pain relief patches.

Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam, said, “If COVID-19 infected individuals take antipyretics purchased at convenience stores and continue their daily lives, the risk of spread can increase accordingly. We will strive to minimize regional spread through this measure.”

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