Blind Spots in Home Treatment Emerge, Even Intensive Care Groups Are Not Managed

Only 300,000 in Intensive Care Group
Medical Frontline Overload Delays Delivery of Treatment Kits
Late Test Notifications Cause Anxiety Among Cohabitating Families
Treatment Confusion for Unregistered Foreigners Also a Problem

An ambulance transporting COVID-19 patients receiving home treatment is waiting at Jungnang-gu Seoul Medical Center on the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Kwanju Lee and Youngwon Kim] Blind spots where COVID-19 patients are not managed by health authorities are emerging amid the surge in confirmed cases. The burden on frontline medical staff has become overloaded as the number of home treatment patients exceeds 2 million and the intensive management group surpasses 300,000. High-risk patients aged 60 and over are unable to receive even the basic testing tools necessary for treatment, and family members living together with confirmed patients are anxious as it takes time for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results to come out. Undocumented foreigners are unable to properly receive even non-face-to-face medical consultations.

‘Home Treatment Kits’ That Don’t Arrive

A man in his 60s, Mr. A, living in Gyeonggi-do, developed symptoms such as phlegm, sore throat, and fever on the afternoon of the 14th. Hoping for the best, he took a professional rapid antigen test at a local clinic the next morning, which came back positive, confirming his COVID-19 diagnosis.

However, until the day before his isolation was lifted on the 20th, Mr. A did not receive a home treatment kit containing an oxygen saturation meter and thermometer. He only received a call for high-risk group home treatment monitoring on the 18th, three days after his diagnosis. Despite being clearly in the ‘intensive management group’ due to underlying conditions, aside from the four-day medication prescribed by the hospital on the day of diagnosis and additional medication prescribed over the phone, he received no other support. Mr. A criticized, "Fortunately, my symptoms have not worsened significantly, but there must be high-risk patients who become severely ill early on, and leaving them unattended like this seems problematic."

Mr. B, a man in his 60s living in Seoul who tested positive on the 17th, also only received a home treatment monitoring call on the 20th, three days later. Like Mr. A, he has heard nothing about the home treatment kit. Mr. B said, "I called several times (to the health center, etc.), but all I was told was that supplies were insufficient," and added, "They designated me as part of the intensive management group, but I don’t know what exactly they are focusing on managing."

Family members living together are also growing anxious. Due to the surge in testing demand, it takes about two days for PCR results to come out, but they have no choice but to continue daily activities such as going to work. Mr. C, a man in his 30s who lives with a confirmed patient, said, "My wife tested positive on the 15th, so I took a rapid antigen test which was negative, and I went to work as usual," adding, "I took a PCR test again, but I’m worried about spreading it to others." Mr. C, who took the PCR test on the 17th, received a positive confirmation message late afternoon on the 18th and began home treatment.

Undocumented Foreigners Face Treatment Dead Ends

Undocumented foreigners who have not received foreigner registration cards are also in a blind spot for home treatment. Mr. D, a 26-year-old Canadian who entered Korea on a language study visa, tested positive for COVID-19 on the 15th and inquired about telemedicine at several local clinics, but was told, "We cannot accept you because you do not have a foreigner registration number; please contact the health center." Although he made an appointment to visit for foreigner registration card issuance, the date was in April and it takes 3 to 4 weeks to receive the card.

Mr. D received no assistance from any institution. The health center said, "We know that medical expense support is possible for undocumented foreigners, but we need to contact the department in charge of overseas arrivals," and then stopped responding. He also contacted the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the responsible district office, and the home treatment administrative guidance center, but was either told to contact the health center or was redirected to other related agencies he had already called.

The KDCA responded by saying, "Undocumented foreigners can also receive home treatment and cost support." After being diagnosed and indicating ‘undocumented foreigner’ on the investigation form, registration at the health center makes this possible. However, related information cannot be found on the KDCA website, and frontline hospitals are unaware of how to handle undocumented foreigner treatment. Eventually, Mr. D was able to be hospitalized only after his cohabitant visited the health center. Mr. Park (24), Mr. D’s cohabitant, sighed, saying, "Even the health center staff said, ‘I don’t understand the hospital’s response; it seems like a medical blind spot.’"

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