'Super spreader': a churchgoer who contacted hundreds in Daegu, Seoul before quarantine

The spread of the new coronavirus in South Korea may be accelerating, with the country's probable first "super spreader" having infected dozens of people.

The country's 31st COVID-19 patient, who resides in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, is believed to have infected at least 23 others, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

A preliminary epidemiological investigation shows that the potential super spreader attended the same church service as 23 of the newly confirmed patients and had person-to-person contact with one person at a Daegu hospital.

"We believe that there were many contacts at the church and we are planning to conduct kit tests for the entire church," Jung Eun-kyeong, chief of the KCDC, said in a regular briefing.

Jung also said the incident was one of "super spread" but that further epidemiological investigation should be conducted to determine who was the source of infection and what its route was.

The patient was hospitalized at a Daegu hospital from Feb. 7-17. The KCDC said that the patient has had contact with 166 people, who have now placed themselves into self-quarantine.

What constitutes a super spreader is not clearly defined, but people can be labeled such if they transmit the disease to more than 10 others.

There have been several reports of "super spreaders" globally, including in Singapore and Britain, who are allegedly responsible for disproportionately infecting a large number of people with COVID-19. (Yonhap)