"From Today, COVID-19 Tests Become More Expensive"... Infectious Disease Classification Changes from Level 2 to Level 4

COVID-19 [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 31st, the COVID-19 infectious disease classification was downgraded from level 2 to level 4. After COVID-19 first entered the country in January 2020 and was classified as the highest level 1, it dropped to level 2 in April last year, and now, after about 1 year and 4 months, it has been lowered again. This means that health authorities plan to allocate medical infrastructure for COVID-19 at a level similar to influenza (flu). The recent COVID-19 fatality rate is 0.04%, which is comparable to seasonal flu (0.03?0.07%).

However, the authorities announced that they will maintain the current COVID-19 crisis level at ‘Warning’ and continue managing high-risk groups.

The biggest change following the downgrade of COVID-19 infectious disease classification is a significant increase in COVID-19 testing fees. Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT), which were previously available at frontline clinics and hospitals for about 5,000 KRW consultation fee only, will now cost between 20,000 and 50,000 KRW. However, for high-risk groups such as seniors aged 60 and above and patients aged 12 and older with underlying conditions, 50% of the cost will be covered by health insurance. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests will also see a significant increase in out-of-pocket expenses for those outside the high-risk groups, costing between 60,000 and 80,000 KRW. Testing support for high-risk groups will be maintained only until the COVID-19 crisis level is lowered to ‘Caution.’

Screening clinics will continue to operate until the crisis level is downgraded, but unless you are aged 60 or older, a patient or guardian at a medical institution, or a worker at an infection-vulnerable facility, you will have to pay for the test. Previously, presenting a positive self-test kit allowed for free PCR testing.

Hospitalization treatment cost support will be provided only for severe patients until the end of the year. Previously, support was provided for all hospitalized patients regardless of severity. Oral antiviral treatments for high-risk groups will be supported until the first half of next year, after which they will be listed under health insurance, requiring patients to pay part of the cost. The current system allowing free COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone will be maintained. Living support funds given to confirmed cases in households with income below 100% of the median income and paid leave subsidies provided to companies offering paid leave to workers quarantined or hospitalized due to COVID-19 will be discontinued.

The indoor mask-wearing mandate will continue for hospital-level medical institutions and residential infection-vulnerable facilities where high-risk groups are concentrated. This is based on the assessment that COVID-19 still has a high fatality rate among the elderly and other vulnerable populations.

The comprehensive counting of all COVID-19 confirmed cases (full surveillance) will now be discontinued. Instead, health authorities will designate 527 surveillance institutions to report weekly on confirmed cases within these sites. Due to the endemic nature of COVID-19 and the increase in ‘hidden infections’ among unconfirmed cases, the effectiveness of full surveillance has greatly diminished. Other countries have adopted this sample surveillance system faster than South Korea.

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