COVID-19, Considered for Removal from 'Class 1 Infectious Diseases'... Will Reporting and Treatment Systems Change?

Full Coverage of Treatment and Medication Costs by the State → May Become Patient's Responsibility
Health Authorities "No Consideration for Charging for Public Health Center PCR Tests"

On the 16th, as the spread of COVID-19 continued, citizens were getting tested at the screening clinic in front of Seoul City Hall.
Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The government is considering lowering the infectious disease classification of COVID-19. If COVID-19 is removed from the current 'Class 1 infectious disease' category, it will be classified as a Class 2 to 4 infectious disease, which includes measles and influenza (flu), and the current testing and treatment systems are expected to change accordingly.

On the 16th, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum ordered at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting, "The quarantine authorities should discuss with the medical community ways to adjust the current 'Class 1' infectious disease classification to fit the changed situation so that COVID-19 response can be handled within the routine medical system."

The government currently classifies statutory infectious diseases into Classes 1 to 4 based on severity and transmissibility, applying different reporting and management systems for each class. Class 1 infectious diseases, which include COVID-19, consist of 17 types such as Ebola virus disease, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), novel influenza, smallpox, plague, anthrax, and other bioterrorism-related or highly fatal infectious diseases with high risk of outbreaks.

For these Class 1 infectious diseases, once a confirmed case is identified, medical personnel must immediately report to the quarantine authorities, and confirmed patients are isolated in negative pressure rooms or similar facilities. Accordingly, for COVID-19, medical staff report confirmed cases to authorities, and patients are isolated either in medical institutions or at home.

For Class 1 infectious diseases including COVID-19, treatment costs are fully covered by the government. Currently, the government fully covers the costs of COVID-19 isolation beds as well as the oral antiviral treatment 'Paxlovid.'

However, with new confirmed cases soaring to around 400,000 per day, there are limits to responding to COVID-19 as a Class 1 infectious disease. Since COVID-19 diagnostic testing and treatment are now conducted at local clinics and the fatality rate has dropped to the level of seasonal flu, there are criticisms that maintaining its classification as a Class 1 infectious disease is no longer practical.

If COVID-19 is reclassified from Class 1 to Classes 2 to 4, the reporting system will change. For diseases classified as Class 2, such as tuberculosis, chickenpox, and measles, or Class 3, such as tetanus, hepatitis B and C, and Japanese encephalitis, medical personnel must report confirmed cases to quarantine authorities within 24 hours. For Class 4 diseases like influenza and syphilis, full reporting is not required, but they may be subject to 'sample surveillance' to monitor outbreaks.

If removed from Class 1, patients may have to bear the costs of testing, diagnosis, and hospitalization that were previously fully covered by the government.

Regarding this, Jung Tong-ryong, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters' general coordination team, said, "If Class 1 infectious diseases are downgraded to Classes 2 to 4, medical cost support and quarantine measures may change, but there are no fixed standards for each class," adding, "Experts need to discuss how to manage COVID-19 going forward."

Kim Yu-mi, head of the Routine Quarantine Management Team at the Disease Control Headquarters, said, "Depending on the infectious disease classification adjustment, hospitalization and isolation levels will change, and we will review which areas to focus on for patient-borne treatment costs or living support. However, we are not considering charging for PCR tests at screening clinics, which are currently free."

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