ALTHOUGH the Republic of Korea recently made headlines for being one of the countries with the largest number of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections totaling to 7,869 as of March 12, its government said it addressed the incident by putting the word “trust” into a whole new level—an effort which did not go unnoticed to the international media and the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a news conference at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended Korea’s response to the pandemic.
“The Republic of Korea has increased efforts to identify all cases and contacts, including drive-through temperature testing to widen the net-and-catch cases that might otherwise be missed,” Ghebreyesus said.
“Of the four countries with the most cases, the [People’s Republic of] China is bringing its epidemic under control, and there is now a decline in new cases being reported from…Korea. Both these countries demonstrate that it’s never too late to turn back the tide on this virus,” he added.
The Covid-19 situation in Korea began from a specific regional cluster, particularly Daegu City in North Gyeongsang province. According to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)’s data, the place accounts for 7,010 confirmed cases, while those from other areas of the country amounted to 859, at about 10.9 percent of the all incidences. A total of 234,998 persons were tested as of March 12.
‘TRUST’ is foremost
THE Korean government characterized its efforts via the acronym “TRUST:” transparency, robust screening and quarantine, unique but universally applicable, strict control, and treatment.
In lieu of its belief that timely and accurate data can combat the further global spread of the virus, Korea’s complete transparency can be seen through the instantaneous release of their daily testing at the KCDC’s web site, which amounted to 19,000 per day. The aggressive testing included the asymptomatic persons who came in contact with the confirmed patients.
Korea also implemented robust and effective screening and quarantine measures, while minimizing restrictions placed on movement of people. The government quickly tested, approved and ramped up production of domestically developed diagnostic kits.
Instead of introducing an entry ban on inbound travelers, Korea likewise implemented a special-entry procedure aimed at enhancing health monitoring of travelers coming from certain areas and countries with higher risks, which allowed minimizing the risk of expansion of disease without an outright entry ban.
Travelers returning from affected countries are required to install a self-diagnosis app on their smartphones and submit their health status everyday for two weeks. If they show early symptoms of infection for more than two consecutive days, the KCDC and local authorities will take follow up measures.
Unique, universal applications
THE innovation to counter Covid-19 did not stop there, as they also implemented unique but universally applicable testing procedures through the Korea-pioneered drive-through testing stations, which earned praises from various international media outlets, including CNN and BBC, among others.
Around 50 of those instant-testing areas were spread throughout the country, which allowed drivers to register and provide samples in less than 10 minutes without needing to get out of their vehicles.
The city and district governments also partnered with a mobile telecommunication company that will send emergency alerts to anyone in the vicinity of confirmed hot spots, thereby ensuring that the public is informed as quickly as possible. Aside from that, mobile apps were developed to allow users to avoid known hot spots, providing detailed information about the exact location and time of visit by confirmed Covid-19 patients.
Strict control was also imposed on individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases from exiting Korea during the 14-day self-quarantine period. Finally, the treatment costs for anyone confirmed with the disease are free, including for foreigners who may need care, while those under self-quarantine at home are also paid living expenses to help offset lost wages.
Korea has also focused on expeditious recovery of those infected with Covid-19 through its advanced medical care.
In all, Korea is looking at putting an end to the pandemic as a nation, as well as to learn and innovate further following the Covid-19 onslaught.
Image credits: koreea.net