70s COVID-19 Patient Dies After Unauthorized Leaving of Home Treatment to Visit Jjimjilbang

Medical staff in charge of home treatment are checking the patient's condition. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Yeeun] A man in his 70s who tested positive for COVID-19 in Incheon collapsed and died after visiting a jjimjilbang during home treatment.

According to Incheon City on the 18th, at around 2:52 p.m. on the 15th, a report was received by 119 that Mr. A (75) suddenly collapsed at a jjimjilbang in Dong-gu, Incheon.

When the 119 emergency medical team arrived at the scene after the jjimjilbang staff's report, Mr. A was unconscious and had weak breathing. A fire department official said, "We found out he was a confirmed case while talking on the phone with his guardian."

Mr. A was transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment but died at around 3:18 a.m. the next day. The cause of death was revealed to be multiple organ failure and COVID-19 infection.

It was confirmed that Mr. A tested positive for COVID-19 on the 11th and had been undergoing home treatment. He was classified as a high-risk intensive care home treatment patient and was required to self-isolate for seven days until midnight on the 17th, but he left his residence without permission.

It was confirmed that Mr. A had no particular symptoms after the positive diagnosis.

An official from Incheon’s quarantine authorities said, "The hospital in charge checked Mr. A’s condition twice daily by phone, and until the morning of the 15th, his temperature, pulse, and oxygen saturation were all normal."

He added, "On the day of the accident, around 2:30 p.m., the managing hospital tried to contact him, but he did not answer, and while they were repeatedly trying to reach him, they received a call from the 119 emergency medical team around 3:40 p.m."

Meanwhile, since the 9th, the government has required confirmed cases and close contacts to self-isolate voluntarily and has abolished the use of GPS-based self-isolation applications.

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