'Psychological Quarantine Barrier' Collapsing Among Citizens... "Anxious Due to Acquaintance's Positive Case, Feel Like I'll Be Infected Soon"

Seoul Surpasses 2 Million Cumulative COVID-19 Cases... 1 in 5 Citizens Infected
Netizens Say "Anxious Not Knowing When They Will Be Infected"

Citizens waiting for COVID-19 testing at a hospital designated as a respiratory specialty clinic in Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kim, a worker in his 20s, recently expressed anxiety over the consecutive COVID-19 positive cases among acquaintances. Kim said, "Not only are the daily confirmed cases reaching hundreds of thousands, but seeing my acquaintances get infected made me think I would catch it soon too," adding, "I don't know when I'll get infected, so I've stocked up on a lot of medicine at home." He continued, "With so many confirmed cases, it seems impossible not to get infected."

As the spread of COVID-19 continues, anxiety about the virus is rising, especially among those not yet infected. In particular, with about one in seven citizens reported to have been infected, some voices of self-deprecation are emerging, saying, "It might be better to just get COVID-19."

Recently, it was found that one in five Seoul citizens has been infected with COVID-19. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, as of midnight on the 20th, the daily new confirmed cases in Seoul increased by 65,870, bringing the cumulative total to 2,042,110. Compared to approximately 9.4 million Seoul citizens, the infection rate is about 21%. This means one in five people in Seoul has been infected with COVID-19.

Given this situation, posts with the sentiment "It might be better to get infected with COVID-19 to gain immunity" have been appearing mainly on online communities.

One netizen said, "I think it would be better to get COVID-19 once," expressing, "The government has lifted all restrictions, so I feel anxious because infected people could be anywhere." They added, "Those who have had it once can go to concerts and drinking gatherings more freely, right?"

Meanwhile, another netizen said, "I really feel that COVID-19 is right at my doorstep," adding, "'Not uninfected' but 'pre-confirmed' might not be an exaggeration. There is chaos around me because of COVID-19. I'm scared of COVID-19 and have taken several self-tests, but still negative. If that's the case, it might be more comforting to get infected quickly."

Photo by Online Community Screenshot.

Meanwhile, with the spread of the Omicron variant, one in three Koreans believed they were highly likely to contract COVID-19.

According to a COVID-19 public perception survey conducted in mid-month by Professor Yoo Myungsoon's research team at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health, 32.2% responded that "I am highly likely to get infected," marking the highest rate among surveys conducted so far. Additionally, 50.9% responded that "The health impact or damage if infected with COVID-19 would be severe."

When asked about "How socially controllable is the spread of COVID-19 in Korea due to Omicron dominance," 66.9% answered "uncontrollable." This survey was conducted from the 11th to the 13th of this month, targeting 1,026 adult men and women nationwide. The sampling error is ±3.06 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Meanwhile, health authorities predicted a continued increase in critically ill patients. Son Youngrae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said at a briefing that day, "The number of critically ill patients will continue to rise, so we are trying to respond as efficiently as possible and are seeking cooperation from the medical community to ensure smooth treatment for confirmed patients with underlying conditions."

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