scholarly journals COVID-19 in South Korea: The Need for Preemptive Tests from the Perspective of Asymptomatic Infections

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Insuk Sim ◽  
Yun-Jung Kang ◽  
Hye Jeong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Korean Government ◽  
First Case ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
The Social ◽  
Asymptomatic Infections

The first case of coronavirus disease reported in South Korea was a person infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), who entered South Korea from China on January 20, 2020. In the Capital, the Korean government applied the social distancing policy at level 2.5 for 8 days from August 30 to September 6, 2020. The Central Disease Relief Center explained that the reason the number of newly confirmed cases per day did not fall below 100 was because the infection spread nationwide through sporadic mass infections or asymptomatic patients. Asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 is a subject of constant controversies, as asymptomatic patients can infect other people while not showing any symptoms themselves. Their atypical clinical characteristics in the early stages of the disease make prevention more difficult. Additional studies on the infecting power of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic cases are needed. Nonetheless, such probabilities should be taken into consideration and we should remain vigilant.

scholarly journals Molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 clusters caused by asymptomatic cases in Anhui Province, China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
yuan yuan ◽  
Jun He ◽  
Lei Gong ◽  
Weiwei Li ◽  
Liangliang Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Droplet Spreading ◽  
Close Link ◽  
Spike Gene ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
Asymptomatic Infections ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Background: COVID-19 is a newly emerging disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which spread globally in early 2020. Asymptomatic carriers of the virus contribute to the propagation of this disease, and the existence of asymptomatic infection has caused widespread fear and concern in the control of this pandemic.Methods: In this study, we investigated the origin and transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 in Anhui’s two clusters, analyzed the role and infectiousness of asymptomatic patients in disease transmission, and characterized the complete spike gene sequences in the Anhui strains.Results: We conducted an epidemiological investigation of two clusters caused by asymptomatic infections sequenced the spike gene of viruses isolated from 12 patients. All cases of the two clusters we investigated had clear contact histories, both from Wuhan, Hubei province. The viruses isolated from two outbreaks in Anhui were found to show a genetically close link to the virus from Wuhan. In addition, new single nucleotide variations were discovered in the spike gene.Conclusions: Both clusters may have resulted from close contact and droplet-spreading and asymptomatic infections were identified as the initial cause. We also analyzed the infectiousness of asymptomatic cases and the challenges to the current epidemic to provided information for the development of control strategies.

scholarly journals COVID-19 in South Korea: Focusing on Club Infections

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 2299-2302
Author(s):  
Moon-Jung Shim ◽  
Yun-Jung Kang
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Male Patient ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The Public ◽  
Korean Government ◽  
The Government ◽  
Local Transmission

On January 20, 2020, the first COVID-19 case in Korea was confirmed. The Korean government handled the situation by early identification and quarantine along with transparent disclosure of information, while announcing a National Guideline to practice aggressive prevention policies. Consequently, the government changed its social distancing policy into a casual-distancing-in-daily-lives policy. However, on the very day when the new policy started, a new male patient who had visited a club in Itaewon, Seoul, was confirmed to be the start of a club infection. This incident gave rise to three possible problems for Korea. Firstly, asymptomatic infection, which means a patient can spread the virus having only slight or no symptoms at all, can increase. Secondly, the fourth infection occurred due to local transmission by confirmed cases related to the club infection. Thirdly, the change in awareness among the 20s and 30s age groups is required to minimize the COVID-19 situation. As there is no established cure for COVID-19, both the government and the public should exert care.

scholarly journals Molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 clusters caused by asymptomatic cases in Anhui Province, China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
yuan yuan ◽  
Jun He ◽  
Lei Gong ◽  
Weiwei Li ◽  
Liangliang Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Droplet Spreading ◽  
Close Link ◽  
Spike Gene ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
Asymptomatic Infections ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Background: COVID-19 is a newly emerging disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which spread globally in early 2020. Asymptomatic carriers of the virus contribute to the propagation of this disease, and the existence of asymptomatic infection has caused widespread fear and concern in the control of this pandemic. Methods: In this study, we investigated the origin and transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 in Anhui’s two clusters, analyzed the role and infectiousness of asymptomatic patients in disease transmission, and characterized the complete spike gene sequences in the Anhui strains. Results: We conducted an epidemiological investigation of two clusters caused by asymptomatic infections sequenced the spike gene of viruses isolated from 12 patients. All cases of the two clusters we investigated had clear contact histories, both from Wuhan, Hubei province. The viruses isolated from two outbreaks in Anhui were found to show a genetically close link to the virus from Wuhan. In addition, new single nucleotide variations were discovered in the spike gene. Conclusions: Both clusters may have resulted from close contact and droplet-spreading and asymptomatic infections were identified as the initial cause. We also analyzed the infectiousness of asymptomatic cases and the challenges to the current epidemic to provided information for the development of control strategies.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Infection in South Korea: Focusing on Age Distribution of Confirmed Cases

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 721-723
Author(s):  
Hyunjoo Joo ◽  
Yun-Jung Kang
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Family Members ◽  
High Infection Rate ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
First Case ◽  
High Infection

A new kind of respiratory infectious disease, COVID-19, which first occurred in Wuhan, China, on December 31st, 2019, has affected all over China. After that, the first case of COVID-19 in South Korea was confirmed on January 20th, 2020. Currently, on April 7th, the accumulated number of confirmed cases is 10,331, with 6,694 among them released from quarantine. Age distributions among the confirmed cases shows that patients between 20-29 occupy the most portion with 27%. Te younger generations occupies the highest portion of the confirmed cases. Additionally, as their high infection rate can serve as a risk factor of spreading the disease to their family members, they should actively participate in the prevention of the disease by thorough practice of social distancing. Their participation is expected to serve an important role in ending COVID-19.

scholarly journals Statistical Estimation of Effects of Implemented Government Policies on COVID-19 Situation in South Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2144
Author(s):  
Gyujin Heo ◽  
Catherine Apio ◽  
Kyulhee Han ◽  
Taewan Goo ◽  
Hye Won Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Information ◽  
Poisson Model ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Government Response ◽  
Korean Government ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Since the outbreak of novel SARS-COV-2, each country has implemented diverse policies to mitigate and suppress the spread of the virus. However, no systematic evaluation of these policies in their alleviation of the pandemic has been done. We investigate the impact of five indices derived from 12 policies in the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker dataset and the Korean government’s index, which is the social distancing level implemented by the Korean government in response to the changing pandemic situation. We employed segmented Poisson model for this analysis. In conclusion, health and the Korean government indices are most consistently effective (with negative coefficients), while the restriction and stringency indexes are mainly effective with lagging (1~10 days), as intuitively daily confirmed cases of a given day is affected by the policies implemented days before, which shows that a period of time is required before the impact of some policies can be observed. The health index demonstrates the importance of public information campaign, testing policy and contact tracing, while the government index shows the importance of social distancing guidelines in mitigating the spread of the virus. These results imply the important roles of these polices in mitigation of the spread of COVID-19 disease.

scholarly journals Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of 26 Asymptomatic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Carriers

2020 ◽  
Vol 221 (12) ◽  
pp. 1940-1947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfeng Pan ◽  
Xue Yu ◽  
Xinwei Du ◽  
Qingqing Li ◽  
Xianyang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Nucleic Acid Test ◽  
Ct Findings ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
Median Period ◽  
Acid Test

Abstract Background We retrospectively analyzed 26 persistently asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) carriers. Methods Epidemiological and clinical characteristics from the 26 asymptomatic patients with positive results for SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid testing were obtained. Results Twenty-two patients (84.6%) correlated with clustering occurrence. The median period from contact to diagnosis and the last positive nucleic acid test was 19 (8–24 days) and 21.5 days (10–36 days), respectively. The median period from diagnosis to negative nucleic acid test was significantly different between patients with normal or atypical chest computed tomography (CT) findings (n = 16, 61.5%; 7.5 days [2–20 days]) and patients with typical ground-glass or patchy opacities on CT (n = 10, 38.5%; 12.5 days [8–22 days]; P < .01). Seven patients (70.0%) with initial positive nucleic acid test results had a negative result simultaneously with improved CT findings. Obvious improvement in CT findings was observed in 3 patients (30.0%) despite positive nucleic acid test results. Conclusions In asymptomatic patients, changes in biochemical and inflammatory variables are small and changes on chest CT can occur. It is worth noting that the long existence of SARS-CoV-2 in some asymptomatic patients and false-negative results need to be considered in SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test.

scholarly journals Covid-19 in Latin America countries: Course of the pandemic and the different responses towards control

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Moreira Pescarini ◽  
Ismael H Silveira ◽  
Jaime A Souza-Filho ◽  
Rosana Aquino ◽  
Mauricio L Barreto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
First Case ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
The Social

Abstract Background: The emergence of COVID-19 in Latin America occurred within a troubled political, economic and social context, with growing trends of poverty and social inequality challenging already overburdened and underfinanced local healthcare systems. In the absence of a vaccine or of any treatment for COVID-19, public health measures such as social distancing had to be adopted. The objective of this paper is to describe the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin American countries and to summarize the social distancing measures implemented in each one of these countries, discussing the changes that took place in the social mobility of the populations and their potential effects on the course of the epidemic up to June 2020. Results: Brazil has the highest cumulative number of cases and deaths; however, cumulative incidence rates are higher in Peru and Chile, while the highest cumulative mortality rates are in Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. Some countries implemented social distancing measures before the first case was registered, culminating in lockdown in eight countries before detection of the 100th case. The measures that appear to have had the greatest impact in reducing mobility include, in addition to lockdown, the closure of schools and prohibition of events. In general, the countries that implemented social distancing measures earlier and where the reduction in social mobility was greatest also recorded lower incidence and mortality rates. Brazil and Mexico failed to adopt lockdown and the number of cases of the disease continues to grow. Conclusions: As occurred in other continents, control of the COVID-19 pandemic was better in countries that were faster in adopting more restrictive measures. Nevertheless, this equation does not appear to guarantee a positive outcome in all settings, possibly due to the considerable social inequalities and chronic deficiencies of the healthcare systems, with the scenario being even more complex in view of the recurring political crises and the negationist view of some national leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Latin America and exposes these contradictions. Further studies are required to gain a greater understanding and generate lessons on how to manage such a complex crisis.

scholarly journals Riding the waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Joseph Christian Obnial ◽  
Maria Beatriz Baron ◽  
Hannah Andrea Sagsagat ◽  
Erika Ong ◽  
Ma. Alexandra Nicola Valenzuela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Korean Government ◽  
The Waves

ABSTRACT During the first months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020, South Korea stood as one of the most successful in preventing a nationwide outbreak. The country was unique in that it did so without enforcing massive border restrictions and tight social distancing measures, instead focusing on maximal testing, contact tracing, and treatment. But as the year 2020 went on, the country has suffered second and third waves, each one being larger and harder to combat than the last. The Korean government, however, has been unwilling to impose stringent measures due to potential economic consequences and has still relied on its initial strategies in an attempt to prevent further disease transmission. It is therefore crucial to revisit their position beyond their early successes to re-evaluate the effectiveness of their strategy, and to finally decide if it is time to move on to more drastic measures.

scholarly journals Kontekstualisasi Adopsi Kebijakan: Studi Kasus Kebijakan Pengendalian Covid-19 di Korea Selatan

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-136
Author(s):  
Fajar Iswahyudi ◽  
Muhadjir Darwin ◽  
Agus Heruanto Hadna ◽  
Pande Made Kutanegara
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
The South ◽  
South Korean Government ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
South Korean ◽  
Korean Government ◽  
Political Perspective ◽  
Political Boundaries

South Korea is one of the countries that has successfully controlled Covid-19. The successes obtained by implementing policies, namely: tests, tracking, treatment, and social distancing. This success invited other countries to adopt policies. Policy adoption needs to be done by considering the policy context through three perspectives, namely rationality, organizational, and political. This research will reveal the context of South Korean policy from each perspective. The research method used to discuss the topic is document analysis. From a rationality perspective, the South Korean Government's policy has potent correlation both theoretically and empirically in controlling Covid-19. From an organizational perspective, the determination of South Korean government policy is limited by the rules apply in the organization. From a political perspective, the determination of the policy of the South Korean Government is limited by political pressure on policy makers. This condition is the reason the South Korean Government tends chooses policies for conducting tests, tracking, maintaining, and social distancing over other policies to control Covid-19. Although other policies have a better ability to control Covid-19, those who wish to adopt the policy of the South Korean Government can seek and take advantage of other policy alternatives. Especially, not experiencing organizational and political boundaries as happened in South Korea. Keywords: Covid-19, South Korea Government, Policy, Control Abstrak Korea Selatan menjadi salah satu negara yang berhasil mengendalikan Covid-19. Keberhasilan tersebut diperoleh dengan melaksanakan empat kebijakan, yaitu: pelaksanaan tes, penelusuran, perawatan, dan menjaga jarak fisik. Keberhasilan ini mengundang negara lain untuk melakukan adopsi kebijakan. Adopsi kebijakan perlu dilakukan dengan memperhatikan konteks kebijakan melalui tiga perspektif, yaitu rasionalitas, organisasional, dan politik. Penelitian ini akan mengungkap konteks kebijakan Korea Selatan tersebut. Metode penelitian yang digunakan untuk membahas permasalahan tersebut adalah analisis dokumen. Dari perspektif rasionalitas, kebijakan Pemerintah Korea Selatan tersebut memiliki korelasi yang kuat, baik secara teoritis maupun empiris dalam mengendalikan Covid-19. Dari perspektif organisasional, penentuan kebijakan pemerintah Korea Selatan dibatasi oleh aturan yang berlaku dalam organisasi. Dari perspektif politik, penentuan kebijakan Pemerintah Korea Selatan dibatasi oleh adanya tekanan politik kepada pembuat kebijakan. Kondisi tersebut menjadi alasan mengapa Pemerintah Korea Selatan cenderung memilih kebijakan untuk pelaksanaan tes, penelusuran, perawatan, dan menjaga jarak fisik dibandingkan kebijakan lain guna mengendalikan Covid-19. Walaupun kebijakan lain tersebut memiliki kemampuan yang lebih baik dalam mengendalikan Covid-19. Untuk itu bagi para pihak yang ingin mengadopsi kebijakan Pemerintah Korea Selatan dapat mencari dan memanfaatkan alternatif kebijakan lain. Khususnya ketika tidak mengalami batasan organisasional dan politik seperti yang terjadi di Korea Selatan. Kata Kunci: Covid-19, Korea Selatan, Kebijakan, Pengendalian

scholarly journals Evaluating the effectiveness of countermeasures to control the novel coronavirus disease 2019 in Jilin Province, China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinglong Zhao ◽  
Yao Wang ◽  
Meng Yang ◽  
Meina Li ◽  
Zeyu Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Jilin Province ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
The Novel ◽  
First Case ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Asymptomatic Infections ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Imported Infections

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to calculate the transmissibility of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and to evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures to control the disease in Jilin Province, China.Methods: The data of reported COVID-19 cases were collected, including imported and local cases from Jilin Province as of March 14, 2019. A Susceptible–Exposed–Infectious–Asymptomatic–Recovered (SEIAR) model was developed to fit the data, and the effective reproduction number (Reff) was calculated at different stages in the province. Finally, the effectiveness of the countermeasures was assessed. Results: A total of 97 COVID-19 infections were reported in Jilin Province, among which 45 were imported infections (including one asymptomatic infection) and 52 were local infections (including three asymptomatic infections). The model fit well with the reported data (R2 = 0.593, P < 0.001). The Reff of COVID-19 before and after February 1, 2020 was 1.64 and 0.05, respectively. Without the intervention taken on February 1, 2020, the predicted cases would reach a peak of 177011 on October 22, 2020 (384 days from the first case), and 17129367 cases would be reported until the end of the outbreak (on October 9, 2021), with a total attack rate of 63.66%. These results revealed that the interventions implemented in Jilin Province had reduced more than 99.99% cases.Conclusions: COVID-19 has a moderate transmissibility in Jilin Province, China. The interventions implemented in the province had great effectiveness.

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