"3 Reasons the Medical Community Repeatedly Urges to Halt the Easing of Quarantine Measures"

Rapid Surge in Confirmed Cases and Deaths... Medical Institutions Facing Collapse
Potential Mortality Rate Must Also Be Considered
"Government Must Acknowledge Mistakes and Find Solutions"

On the 18th, as the COVID-19 variant surge reached its peak phase, medical staff at the temporary screening clinic in Seoul Plaza closely monitored the rapid antigen test kit results of a test subject. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The medical community has repeatedly expressed concerns over the government's easing of quarantine measures. The government has decided to expand the limit on private gatherings from 6 to 8 people starting on the 21st. It also shows confidence that the Omicron variant can be managed like a "seasonal flu" due to its low fatality rate. However, the medical community is urging the government to halt the easing of quarantine measures until the situation calms down amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Why is the medical community opposing the government's easing of quarantine measures?

① Rapid Increase in Confirmed Cases and Deaths

The Korea Medical Association's COVID-19 Countermeasures Committee demanded the suspension of the easing of COVID-19 quarantine measures for three main reasons. First, they criticized that hastily easing quarantine measures amid a rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths is a notion that puts the public at risk. On the 19th, there were 381,454 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 1,049 critically ill patients, and 301 deaths. The number of patients under home treatment also exceeded 2 million. Just two days earlier, on the 17th, daily confirmed cases reached 620,000, and deaths were 429. Over the past week, the daily average was 404,667 confirmed cases, 1,132 critically ill patients, and 279 deaths. The association pointed out, "Currently, social functions are paralyzed, and it is difficult for public health centers and medical institutions to manage home treatment."

② Is the Fatality Rate Really Low?

One of the main reasons the quarantine authorities evaluate the Omicron variant as being at the level of seasonal flu is its fatality rate. Recently, the average daily deaths per 100,000 population was 0.54, and the cumulative fatality rate as of the previous day was 0.14%. However, the medical community warns that it is dangerous to conclude based solely on the number of deaths announced by the government. The number of deaths is rapidly increasing to a degree that surpasses the decrease in fatality rate due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. In particular, even with the current number of deaths, the rate is among the highest worldwide relative to the population, but the medical community points out that deaths occurring after the short isolation period ends are not included. The association stated, "Deaths due to worsening underlying conditions after Omicron infection are also increasing, so the currently reported number of deaths from COVID-19 may actually be underestimated."

③ Medical Frontline Facing 'Collapse'

Most concerning is the fact that medical institutions treating COVID-19 patients on the front lines are facing the risk of collapse. Currently, nearly 200 nursing hospitals and hospitals in Seoul alone have more than 10 confirmed cases. The transfer of COVID-19 patients to medical institutions for proper treatment has virtually stopped, increasing the possibility of mass deaths. In COVID-19 dedicated medical institutions, infections among medical staff continue, pushing them to a point where it is difficult to sustain operations through Business Continuity Planning (BCP). Professor Lee Jae-gap of Hallym University Gangnam Sacred Heart Hospital's Department of Infectious Diseases emphasized, "Hospitals, nursing hospitals, and nursing facilities are places that must be protected until the very end in the Omicron era," adding, "Even if the situation worsens and BCP is implemented to shorten the isolation period of infected medical staff and allow confirmed patients to be admitted to general wards, it should not be considered normal."

The Korea Medical Association suggested expanding health insurance coverage for rapid antigen tests and PCR tests to improve testing accessibility and prevent transmission within medical institutions. They also demanded the government promptly resolve the insufficient supply of the oral antiviral Paxlovid. They proposed securing enough treatment drugs so that medical staff can prescribe them immediately at the onset of symptoms and implementing a fast-track treatment system for high-risk patients as an alternative. The association reiterated, "The government must face the reality of medical institution collapse due to the surge in infections and suspend the easing of quarantine measures until the peak of COVID-19 infections is reached, considering the capacity of medical institutions."

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