15 Nurses Exposed to COVID-19 Quarantined Together in a Crowded 7-Pyeong Room Sparks Controversy

On the 28th of last month, nurses at the Central Veterans Hospital were collectively quarantined in the duty room. Photo by Facebook capture.

원본보기 아이콘

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] Outrage has erupted after it was revealed that 15 nurses who had contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients were collectively quarantined in a room barely over 7 pyeong (approximately 23㎡) at the Seoul Gangdong-gu Central Veterans Hospital.

Mr. Shin (84), who had been hospitalized at this hospital since the 5th of last month, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on the 27th of last month. In response, the hospital conducted comprehensive testing on 243 people suspected of contact, including patients, caregivers, and staff, resulting in two additional patients and one caregiver testing positive.

The hospital implemented cohort isolation on the ward where the patient stayed and restricted movement. Cohort isolation is a measure that completely seals off a medical institution or ward where an infection has occurred, grouping patients and medical staff into the same cohort for total quarantine.

The problem arose when the hospital quarantined the nurses who had contact with Mr. Shin. The hospital confined 15 nurses together in a 23㎡ (7 pyeong) duty room.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s self-quarantine guidelines, individuals subject to self-quarantine must live alone in a separate space. However, the nurses had to stay together in that space from 6:30 PM on the 27th for an entire day.

The nurses protested, saying that cramming contacts into a confined space could negatively affect quarantine efforts, but the hospital simply responded with "wait." Only after a caregiver of one of the nurses visited the hospital to protest was half of the 8th-floor space made available for the nurses. Even then, 2 to 3 nurses had to share one room. It was reported that the nurses were quarantined in the hospital without receiving daily necessities.

Eventually, on the 29th of last month, a photo showing 15 nurses tightly lying down in the hospital’s duty room was posted on social networking services (SNS). Among the nurses, there were also claims that "the hospital, lacking sufficient staff to care for cohort-isolated patients, forced nurses to take care of the patients."

After one nurse tested positive for COVID-19 on the 4th of this month, the other nurses were allowed to quarantine alone either at home or in single rooms in the hospital dormitory. One nurse said, "There was pressure not to disclose that a nurse had tested positive," and "After the photo spread on SNS, there were attempts to identify the whistleblower."

The Central Veterans Hospital stated that they are verifying the exact facts.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.