How South Korea Responded To The Covid-19 Outbreak In Daegu
De CidesaWiki
By March 30, the government secured 1,828 beds in Daegu at 11 hospitals (including the Armed Forces Daegu Hospital) for the treatment of Covid-19. Beyond Daegu, officials identified available beds in other nearby cities and provinces where they could transfer patients from Daegu who required hospital-level care; 1,296 beds at 24 hospitals were reserved in these other regions. Additionally, the first community treatment center opened on March 2, with many following soon after, including dormitories for training institutes of private companies such as Samsung and LG.
Meanwhile, at Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan Hospital, one of the designated infectious disease hospitals in Daegu, all hospital staff in the ICU wore powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) and hospital staff in general wards dedicated to Covid-19 patients wore N95 respirators. Such widespread and comprehensive use of PPE was made possible by the triaging, cohorting, and isolation mechanisms at the regional and hospital level. The KCDC recommended twice-a-day screening by symptom checks for fevers and respiratory prodromes of hospital staff working with Covid-19 patients. Additionally, each hospital adapted screening protocols for its hospital employees. For example, upon entering the hospital, all hospital staff (both medical and nonmedical) at Kyungpook National University Hospital were screened for fever and respiratory symptoms along with a review of their international travel history.
South Korea outbreak Korean health authorities warned on Friday that a cluster of coronavirus infections in the capital Seoul was threatening to spread after thousands of people attended a rally by conservative political groups last week. While many of the current spike in cases have been among members of a church, some of whom attended the rally, officials say more people need to come forward and be tested to head off an uncontrollable outbreak. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 324 new cases as of midnight Thursday, bringing the country's total to 16,670, with 309 deaths.
The church and Lee are on the receiving end of lashings because 60% of the COVID-19 cases are from the same cult in South Korea. The Shincheonji had prohibited its members from wearing masks. This was highlighted when Lee called a press conference after Park Won-soon, Seoul’s mayor, filled a lawsuit against the leaders of the church for murder, injury and violation of prevention and management of infectious diseases. Lee said that his church does not pressurize anyone into abandoning jobs and family lives. He further clarified that nor do they ask the members to deny coronavirus testing or keep away from wearing masks. In the press conference, the usually reclusive Lee bowed low and apologized. Ironically, the 88-year-old came wearing a mask.
