[Q&A] "UK-Origin Variant Virus Infected Person Not Violating Self-Quarantine... No Community Transmission Yet" (Comprehensive)

Image source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] So far, 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infected with variant viruses originating from the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa have been identified in South Korea. Among those infected with the UK variant virus, one individual was confirmed to have visited multiple public facilities before testing positive, raising concerns that the variant virus may have already spread within the local community. Although health authorities have stated, "There is no evidence of community transmission from this confirmed case," the variant virus is known to have a transmissibility approximately 70% higher than the original virus, heightening concerns about further spread.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 2nd, five additional cases of variant virus infections from the UK and South Africa were confirmed domestically. Four cases were infected with the UK variant virus, and one case with the South African variant virus. Officially, the total number of confirmed variant virus infections in South Korea has increased to 10, including nine from the UK and one from South Africa.

Among the four newly confirmed UK variant virus cases, three are family members of an octogenarian who was diagnosed posthumously on the 26th of last month in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. One of these family members had arrived in the country earlier on November 8th last year, completed self-quarantine, and was later confirmed to have visited multiple public facilities such as hospitals, hair salons, and supermarkets. Im Sook-young, the Situation General Manager of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained, "There have been questions about whether this confirmed case violated self-quarantine by leaving isolation, but since the activities occurred after the quarantine period ended, it is understood that there was no violation. The health authorities conducted diagnostic tests on those who had contact with this individual before confirmation, and no additional confirmed cases have been reported so far."

Meanwhile, another confirmed case is a person who arrived from the UK and tested positive during self-quarantine. The South African variant virus case is the first reported in South Korea; this patient was confirmed positive during quarantine after arriving from South Africa on the 26th of last month.

Image source=Yonhap News

Below is the Q&A from the Central Disease Control Headquarters regarding the UK and South African variant viruses

- Why did the family get infected with the UK variant virus, and was there any violation of self-quarantine guidelines among them?

▲(Gwak Jin, Head of Patient Management Team, Central Disease Control Headquarters) Two of the three family members arrived on the same day and on the same flight as the deceased individual. Therefore, it is believed they were continuously exposed together from the UK. The remaining family member arrived more than a month earlier than the others. This person tested negative upon entry and was later confirmed to have been infected after the rest of the family arrived and lived together in the same residence. Since this individual completed self-quarantine before engaging in outside activities, it cannot be considered a violation of quarantine guidelines. Additionally, the local government conducted post-investigations such as CCTV reviews regarding the quarantine status of the entire household, and no issues related to quarantine breaches have been identified so far.

▲(Im Sook-young, Director) To add further explanation, there have been questions about whether the person who arrived earlier violated self-quarantine by leaving isolation. However, since this person’s activities occurred after the quarantine period ended, it is understood that there was no violation. This individual was confirmed positive on the 27th of last month and is believed to have had contact with others in the community before confirmation. The health authorities have tested those contacts, and no confirmed cases have been reported to date.

- Is the guideline allowing cohabitation of self-quarantined and non-quarantined individuals in the same household flawed?

▲(Director Im) Since isolation is conducted at home, there is an inherent limitation that family members must live in the same space. Current guidelines instruct minimizing overlapping movement within the home and separating bathroom and dining areas. We believe that further promotion and education are necessary to ensure stricter compliance with these guidelines.

- What are the details of the newly confirmed variant virus cases outside the family?

▲(Team Leader Gwak) The other confirmed UK variant virus case arrived at Incheon Airport on the 19th of last month and was confirmed positive through testing conducted by the local government on the 20th. There were no accompanying arrivals, and investigations are ongoing to determine if there are additional contacts. The South African variant virus case arrived on the 26th of last month, exhibited fever symptoms during quarantine, and was tested positive within the Incheon Airport facility. The patient has been transferred to a treatment facility. This individual had one accompanying arrival, who is currently undergoing testing.

- How do the UK and South African variant viruses differ from each other?

▲(Kim Eun-jin, Head of Testing and Analysis Team 1, Central Disease Control Headquarters) The UK variant virus belongs to the GR group, while the South African variant virus belongs to the GH group. Reports indicate that the UK variant has about a 70% increase in transmissibility, but no additional reports on fatality rates or pathogenicity have been confirmed. The South African variant is also reported by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to have increased transmissibility based on patient numbers, but there are no reports yet on fatality rates or other characteristics.

- If the South African variant virus belongs to the GH group, is it the same group as the virus that has been prevalent in South Korea since May last year?

▲Within the GH group, the mutation sites defined by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) differ. According to this, the South African variant virus is a different variant from the GH group virus circulating in South Korea. Additionally, research by experts and international organizations is ongoing regarding the higher infectivity of the South African virus. Further experimental and clinical studies are needed to confirm these aspects.

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