| Chung Eun-kyung, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is giving a briefing to the Corona 19 Central Defense Countermeasure Headquarters at the briefing room of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Cheongju, Chungbuk on the 14th. Commissioner Chung was admitted to the hospital for a shoulder fracture injury earlier this month, returned to the site after discharge, and stood on the briefing stage in about two weeks. 2020.12.14/News1 © News1 Reporter Jang Soo-young |
Concerns increased as a confirmed case suspected of being infected with a mutant virus from the UK was found to have used a multi-use facility in the community. Fortunately, five people who contacted the confirmed virus were confirmed to have received negative tests.
Earlier on the 30th, a man in his 80s was found to be additionally infected with the Corona 19 mutant virus from the UK. The man was found infected after death from Corona 19, and the man’s three family members also tested positive. Since then, one of these families and five people who have been in contact with the community have been noted for infection.
Park Young-joon, head of the epidemiological investigation team at the Central Defense Countermeasure Headquarters, held a regular briefing on the 31st in relation to the family of confirmed persons in their 80s. “It is a presumed case now that it was spread by a family member who lived in Korea after taking quarantine measures and staying after quarantine release,” he explained.
“The number of contacts due to this person is currently identified and registered in the local community, and a total of 5 cases have been registered,” he said. “As a result of the examination of these 5 people, no additional confirmed cases are currently confirmed.”
A man in his 80s who was infected earlier died on the day of self-isolation lifted after entering the country on the 13th of this month, and a follow-up examination confirmed Corona 19 and infected with a mutant virus. In particular, it was found that not only two family members who entered the country on the same day as the man, but also one family member who entered the country about a month earlier than the man was confirmed by Corona 19.
A mutant virus has been identified in a man in his 80s, and an investigation into the remaining three members of the family is ongoing. However, since these families lived in the same space with the deceased man in his 80s from the 13th to the 26th, it is highly likely to be infected with the mutant virus.
One family member who first entered the country was initially uninfected, but it is estimated that it was infected by the family who arrived in Korea more than a month later. Three people, including two family members who entered the country on the same day as a man in his 80s, were diagnosed in self-isolation, so contact numbers were limited.
On the other hand, the problem is a family member who entered the country about a month earlier. This is because on December 27th, one person freely entered and exited the community for several days before becoming aware of his infection.
The five people who were found to be negative on this day were also those who had contact with their families who first entered Korea a month ago. This confirmed person has a history of visiting multi-use facilities, so the possibility of further contact cannot be ruled out. Assuming that this one confirmed person became infected within 2-3 days after coming into contact with a family member who entered Korea on the 13th, an additional infected person could come out of those who contacted up to before the confirmation on December 14th to 27th. Considering the incubation period of up to two weeks, the spread of the community is expected to be masked between early January next year.
Moreover, since the confirmed person is a family member of a man in his 80s, it is also possible that he is infected with the mutant virus. Kim Eun-jin, head of the test and analysis 1 team, explained, “Generally, if you are infected from a person who has a mutant virus, you have the same virus.” The authorities are checking whether the three confirmed cases have mutated.
–
