Surpassing 100,000 Cumulative Cases... Yet Confirmed and Contacted Individuals Suffer from 'Social Stigma'

Confirmed Cases and Contacts "Painful to Face Harsh Stares... Society Must Embrace Them"

As the third wave of COVID-19 continues in South Korea, citizens are undergoing diagnostic tests at the temporary screening center at Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 28th. As of midnight on that day, the number of new confirmed cases was recorded at 356. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

As of midnight on the 25th, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in South Korea surpassed 100,000. One in every 500 people in the country has been infected with COVID-19, but social attitudes toward these confirmed cases remain cold. Those infected complain not only of the physical pain experienced during treatment but also of severe mental stress.

Kim (33), who lives in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, was listed as a COVID-19 confirmed case at the end of June last year. At that time, the country was coming out of the first wave centered around Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, and the daily new cases were in double digits, so he thought, "A small gathering with acquaintances should be fine," which turned out to be a mistake. Two days after the meeting, Kim received a notification that one of the attendees had tested positive for COVID-19 and that he was classified as a close contact. In the diagnostic test conducted immediately afterward, Kim tested positive for COVID-19. He recalled, "The hardest part was informing my family and company about the positive result and contacting those I had met."

He was admitted to a COVID-19 community treatment center and stayed there for nearly two months. He had understood that recovery usually took 2 to 3 weeks, but as the hospitalization period extended, his anxiety grew. The distinctive symptoms of COVID-19, such as loss of smell and taste, also troubled him. Kim said, "During the treatment period, there was no medication available, so the uncertainty about when I would recover was overwhelming, but above all, the harsh social stigma was extremely painful."

He was discharged from the treatment center after being declared recovered in mid-August, but the experience of COVID-19 infection still significantly affects his life even after more than seven months. He said, "(After recovery) I hardly have unnecessary contact or meetings with people," adding, "I find myself wearing a mask all day long." Kim added, "Now, when I see COVID-19 patients, I think they are also victims and that society should be more inclusive."

Those who underwent self-quarantine due to contact with confirmed cases share similar concerns. Lee (in his 20s), an office worker, underwent two weeks of self-quarantine last November after a colleague tested positive. Lee explained, "Even after testing negative and entering self-quarantine, I was worried because I heard there could be an incubation period. Since I had meals with the infected colleague, I thought the possibility of infection was high, so I was very concerned about the impact on my family living with me and even on my father's workplace."

Eventually, Lee requested an additional test at the public health center before the quarantine was lifted, even though it was not mandatory. Although he had no symptoms during the quarantine and tested negative twice, he felt the changed attitudes of those around him just because he was a close contact. He also felt intimidated. Lee said, "Nowadays, since many people are asymptomatic, when someone is a close contact, others tend to be cautious about meeting them," adding, "There was an event being prepared at the company at the time, and I was worried it might be affected."

Jeon (in his 40s), who experienced self-quarantine earlier this year after contact with a confirmed case at work, said, "After safely completing the quarantine period, I experienced a series of cancellations of appointments scheduled about a week later," and lamented, "During quarantine, the safety of my young daughter and family was the top priority, but after returning to work, my biggest concern was when people around me would treat me as they did before."

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