"COVID-19 Now Repeatedly Spreading... Urgent Need to Train Infection Experts"

<'One Month Since Opening' Seoul Asan Hospital Infection Control Center Director Kim Seong-han>
Infection Control Center Designed Before COVID-19 Pandemic
State-of-the-Art Negative Pressure Facilities, Top Level Among Private Hospitals
Optimized Diagnosis and Surgery for High-Risk Patients

Need for Efficient Treatment System for Large-Scale Infectious Patients
Weakness in Domestic Infection Expert Infrastructure
Appropriate Compensation Needed for Isolation of Infectious Patients

Kim Seong-han, Director of the Infection Control Center at Seoul Asan Medical Center. [Photo by Seoul Asan Medical Center]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] "Even after Omicron, there is a high possibility that COVID-19 will repeatedly spread. It is urgent to train experts who can treat infectious disease patients while preventing the collapse of the medical system."

The Infection Control Center (CIC) at Seoul Asan Medical Center, which opened on the 10th of last month. The Infection Control Center, built with a total floor area of 22,070㎡, consisting of three basement floors and four above-ground floors, is entirely focused on 'infection prevention.' Equipped with state-of-the-art negative pressure facilities, emergency rooms, negative pressure isolation wards, consultation rooms, intensive care units, operating rooms, and CT rooms, all diagnosis, hospitalization, and surgeries can be performed within a single building. This is the first time a private hospital in Korea has established a world-class independent building specialized in infectious diseases.

More than 40 days have passed since then. During this time, the Omicron variant spread rapidly. The highest daily confirmed cases reached 620,000, and the cumulative confirmed cases surpassed 10 million. Deaths also exceeded 13,000. The Infection Control Center, which is on the front line of COVID-19 response and responsible for treating severe patients, is literally fighting a 'battle.' Kim Seong-han, head of the Infection Control Center (Infectious Diseases Professor), said, "Due to the Omicron surge, all 56 beds prepared by the center are in use, so we regret that we cannot accommodate more patients."

The Infection Control Center was designed starting in 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of determining the most efficient way to treat infectious disease patients. The flow of medical staff and patients was separated, and an advanced air conditioning system was installed to remove viruses, creating an environment where both medical staff and patients can receive treatment with peace of mind. Kim said, "Although the facility was not built with a very specific scenario like the Omicron surge in mind, we confirmed that the anticipated situations can all be accommodated by the center's facilities."

Seoul Asan Hospital Infection Control Center exterior. [Photo by Seoul Asan Hospital]

Recently, a patient who had undergone a bone marrow transplant was infected with Omicron but was successfully treated by operating a special negative pressure room installed in the center. This allowed for prompt diagnosis and surgery for high-risk patients such as immunocompromised individuals. Kim said, "I believe it is most important to operate the facility to provide optimal treatment for high-risk infectious disease patients while ensuring a safe treatment environment for both patients and medical staff."

The COVID-19 pandemic still shows no end in sight. Kim predicted that COVID-19 outbreaks could recur even after Omicron. He diagnosed, "Due to continuous mutations of COVID-19 and decreased herd immunity, repeated outbreaks are highly likely. Especially, a significant number of patients visiting Seoul Asan Medical Center have weakened immune functions, so many remain vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and progress to severe cases."

Kim emphasized that it is important to prevent the collapse of the medical system amid the current large-scale outbreak of infectious patients and to ensure that patients receive necessary treatment. He argued, "It is necessary to establish a system that utilizes existing infrastructure to activate face-to-face treatment for mild patients at local clinics, while efficiently using isolation beds at well-equipped general hospitals for complex and high-difficulty patients."

He also stressed the necessity of training specialized personnel to respond to infectious diseases and easing regulations for rapid research. Kim stated, "Korea's infrastructure for infectious disease experts is still weak, so a systematic expert training program is needed. Proper compensation for isolation fees for infectious patients and appropriate rewards for medical staff treating them are essential to maintain social functions and respond well to new infectious diseases that will continue to threaten us in the future."

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