Hwasun-gun Lifts Cohort Isolation at Nursing Hospital with Group Infection

[Hwasun=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Young-gyun] Jeonnam Hwasun-gun (Governor Gu Chung-gon) lifted the cohort isolation measure on the 7th for A Nursing Hospital located in Hwasun-eup, where a cluster infection occurred.

The county conducted the 14th round of mass testing on 131 patients, medical staff, and workers related to A Nursing Hospital the day before, and all tested negative.

Accordingly, the county lifted the isolation at 12 noon on the day, the deadline for cohort isolation, marking 25 days since the cohort isolation began on the 13th of last month.

Unlike cluster infection cases in nursing hospitals in other regions, the situation at A Nursing Hospital was relatively contained and concluded without external transmission.

At A Nursing Hospital, after one nurse was first confirmed positive on the 12th of last month, an additional 3 nurses and nursing assistants and 13 inpatients were confirmed positive over 14 days, totaling 17 confirmed cases, but no external infection cases occurred.

The county shortened the mass testing cycle (every 3 days) for those under cohort isolation and conducted daily mass testing from the 12th to the 19th of last month. With the asymptomatic rate among confirmed cases in the hospital exceeding 80%, it was urgent to quickly identify and isolate 'latent infected persons.'

During 8 days, 13 additional confirmed cases were found, and follow-up measures such as rearranging hospital rooms and patients were taken to minimize infection risk.

Immediately after cohort isolation, the county discharged 97 patients from two wards and, on the 24th of last month, transferred some patients to Hwasun-gun Nursing Hospital to disperse densely packed beds and patients. After moving 18 of about 50 non-confirmed inpatients to Hwasun-gun Nursing Hospital, the spread began to subside.

From the 12th to the 24th of last month, 16 confirmed cases occurred over 14 days, but after one confirmed case on the 26th of last month, no additional confirmed cases occurred.

Governor Gu Chung-gon said, “Thanks to the cooperation of medical staff, public officials, and residents, we were able to minimize chain infections within the nursing hospital and prevent community transmission,” and urged, “Please thoroughly follow quarantine guidelines such as wearing masks, refraining from visiting other regions and gatherings, as well as special year-end and New Year quarantine measures.”

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