From the 14th, Immediate Isolation and Home Treatment Upon Positive Result of Professional Rapid Antigen Test

Temporary Operation for One Month
Immediate Paxlovid Prescription at Medical Institutions for Those Aged 60 and Over

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[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Starting from the 14th, if a positive result is obtained from a professional rapid antigen test within one month, it will be recognized as a confirmed case, and the individual will immediately enter isolation and home treatment.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 11th the 'Management Plan for Positive Cases from Professional Rapid Antigen Tests' based on this content.

Accordingly, for one month starting from the 14th, if a positive result is obtained from emergency screening tests (PCR) or professional rapid antigen tests, it will be considered confirmed based on a doctor's judgment and managed the same as a PCR positive confirmed case.

If a positive result is confirmed through a professional rapid antigen test at a local clinic or hospital, the individual can receive medical consultation, counseling, and prescriptions immediately without visiting a public health center for an additional PCR test. Professional rapid antigen tests are available at 7,588 respiratory-specialized clinics and designated respiratory medical institutions nationwide. Local institutions can be checked on the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service website and the COVID-19 website.

Medical institutions will inform positive cases about precautions and the occurrence of isolation obligations, and for positive cases aged 60 and over, oral antiviral treatment (Paxlovid) can be prescribed immediately.

Public health centers will, upon receiving reports from medical institutions about positive cases from professional rapid antigen tests, promptly issue isolation notifications and carry out administrative procedures such as confirmed case investigations and patient classification.

This system improvement was promoted as the prevalence of COVID-19 recently increased, significantly raising the predictive value of positive results from professional rapid antigen tests. According to a survey of respiratory-specialized clinics (76 institutions), the rate at which positive results from professional rapid antigen tests were also positive in PCR tests reached 94.7%.

The quarantine authorities stated that through this, early administration of oral antiviral treatments to high-risk groups aged 60 and over can prevent progression to severe illness, and rapid treatment will also be possible for children aged 11 and under, who are in the unvaccinated age group.

Additionally, PCR testing capacity can be concentrated on priority groups such as residents of infection-vulnerable facilities and family members living with confirmed cases, and the possibility of additional transmission during travel for PCR testing is expected to be prevented.

High-risk groups in their 40s and 50s and immunocompromised individuals, unlike those aged 60 and over, must receive a positive PCR test result to be eligible for oral antiviral treatment.

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