"Wearing KF94 for 20 Minutes"... 'Mass Infections' Ulsan Speech Instructor Was Not Infected with Delta Variant

Epidemiologist: "Contacted Children for Praise Purposes During Training Course"

Not related to the article. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The speech instructor known as the initial transmitter of the 'Ulsan cluster infection' was found to be infected with a non-variant virus. Although the instructor wore a KF94 mask, 20 confirmed cases were reported.

According to Ulsan City on the 20th, speech instructor A conducted 20-minute speech classes at four daycare centers and one kindergarten in the Ulsan area on the 11th and 12th, and was diagnosed with COVID-19 on the 17th.

Subsequently, the city’s quarantine authorities conducted diagnostic tests on 149 children attending the four daycare centers and one kindergarten where the classes were held, and as of the 19th, a total of 20 confirmed cases, including the children and their families, were reported.

There were suspicions that "A did not wear a mask or wore a regular mask," but CCTV footage from the daycare centers confirmed that A was wearing a KF94 mask on the day.

Although the spread of infection was initially presumed to be caused by the Delta variant, detailed tests confirmed that the cluster infection was caused by a 'non-variant virus.'

Ulsan City suspects that physical contact between A and the children was the cause of the cluster infection.

In fact, it was identified that A patted some of the children to praise them during the class. The city’s epidemiologist stated, "The distance between the instructor and the children was very close," and "contact with several children for the purpose of praise during the education process appears to be the main cause of transmission."

Meanwhile, no additional confirmed cases related to the speech instructor have occurred.

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