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Fears of mass outbreak looming large after Chuseok

COVID-19 cases bounce back to over 100By Jun Ji-hyeThe daily number of new COVID-19 infections in Korea has again spiked to over 100, raising fears of a potential mass outbreak following the five-day Chuseok holiday that ended Sunday, according to the health authorities Wednesday. Ahead of Chuseok, the authorities raised concerns over the possibility that the long weekend could serve as a catalyst for outbreaks as many people were expected to travel across the country to spend time with family members, or take advantage of the five-day holiday for a vacation. The authorities have already confirmed virus cases believed to be related to family gatherings during the holiday in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, in addition to several other sporadic clusters across the country. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the country recorded 114 new COVID-19 cases, including 94 local infections, for Tuesday, raising the total caseload to 24,353.The nation's daily new infections bounced back to over 100 after rising by double digits for six consecutive days. The lar

Oct 7, 2020
Fears of mass outbreak looming large after Chuseok

Army base in Pocheon hit by COVID-19 outbreak

A soldier wearing rubber gloves and a face mask closes the gate of the Army base in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, as nearly 40 soldiers and officers there have been confirmed to have COVID-19, with virus tests ongoing for all other personnel on the base. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeNearly 40 soldiers and officers at an Army base in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, have tested positive for COVID-19, putting authorities on high alert over more infection clusters, defense and health officials said Monday.According to the Ministry of National Defense and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), 33 soldiers and three officers at the Army base were confirmed to have COVID-19 as of noon Monday.Three infections were first confirmed Sunday, which prompted the military authorities to carry out coronavirus testing for everyone stationed at the base.About 240 soldiers and officers are stationed there, raising fears over the possibility of more cases emerging. The military and health authorities are working to trace the infection route. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the Army b

Oct 7, 2020
Army base in Pocheon hit by COVID-19 outbreak

COVID-19 vaccine may be ready by year-end: WHO

In this file photo, Nita Patel, director of antibody discovery and vaccine development, lifts a vial with a potential coronavirus vaccine at Novavax labs in Gaithersburg, Maryland, one of the labs developing a vaccine for COVID-19. AFPA vaccine against COVID-19 may be ready by year-end, the head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for solidarity and political commitment by all leaders to ensure equal distribution of vaccines when they become available. "We will need vaccines and there is hope that by the end of this year we may have a vaccine. There is hope," Tedros said in final remarks to the WHO's Executive Board, without elaborating. Nine experimental vaccines are in the pipeline of the WHO's COVAX global vaccine facility that aims to distribute 2 billion doses by the end of 2021. The two-day board meeting, which examined the global response to the pandemic, heard calls from countries including Germany, Britain and Australia for reforms to strengthen the U.N. agency. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration

Oct 7, 2020
COVID-19 vaccine may be ready by year-end: WHO

Virus cases bounce back to over 100

Workers in protective gear spray disinfectant to help curb the spread of the coronavirus in Seoul, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. APSouth Korea's daily new infections of the novel coronavirus bounced back to over 100 cases Wednesday after rising by double digits for six consecutive days as health authorities strive to curb sporadic clusters across the nation after a long holiday. The country added 114 more COVID-19 cases, including 94 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,353, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).The figure marks a sharp rise from 75 posted Tuesday and 73 cases reported Monday. It is also the first time since last Wednesday that the country's daily virus tally increased by triple digits.Health authorities have been warning that the country could see an uptick in COVID-19 cases after the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through Sunday.The government urged people to stay home during the extended fall harvest holiday, but around 30 million people are estimated to have traveled across the nation to visit their family members and relat

Oct 7, 2020
Virus cases bounce back to over 100

Free flu shots likely to resume on Oct. 12

A notice at a local health clinic in Seoul announces a halt to the government's free flu vaccination program, Sept. 22, after a storage mishap. Korea Times file By Kim Se-jeong The government said Tuesday that it is planning to resume its free flu vaccination program on Oct. 12, as vaccines refrigerated improperly during transport in September turned out to be safe. “The test results and following consultations with experts made us conclude that the vaccines in question have no safety problems,” Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “We need additional meetings, but we now have the plan to resume the free shots program on Oct. 12. We will update you when we have more details to share.”More than 5 million doses of the flu vaccine were exposed to room temperature on Sept. 21, which made the government halt the free vaccination program temporarily. The program later res

Oct 6, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Free flu shots likely to resume on Oct. 12

COVID-19 could spread by airborne transmission: CDC

A commuter protected with a facial mask walks through Atocha train station in Madrid, Oct. 5, 2020. EPAU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in an updated guidance on Monday said COVID-19 can spread through airborne transmission, a month after it took down a similar warning. It said some people could get infected by exposure to the novel coronavirus in small droplets and particles, or aerosols, that can linger in the air for minutes to hours. (https://bit.ly/3ndJxIi) Aerosols lingering in the air could be a major source of COVID-19 transmission, a group of U.S. scientists warned in an unrelated open letter published in medical journal Science on Monday. The focus must be on protecting against airborne transmission because individuals with COVID-19 release thousands of virus-laden aerosols and far fewer droplets while breathing and talking, the scientists said. CDC's Monday update acknowledges some earlier reports that showed limited, uncommon circumstances where people with COVID-19 infected others who were more than 6 feet away or shortly after a COVID-19-positive pe

Oct 6, 2020
COVID-19 could spread by airborne transmission: CDC

New virus cases under 100 for sixth day

Women wearing face masks take selfies in a field of cosmos flowers at Olympic Park in Seoul, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. APSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 100 for the sixth straight day Tuesday, but the country is bracing for a possible resurgence in new infections after a long holiday as a slew of clusters was reported.The country added 75 more COVID-19 cases, including 66 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,239, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).It marked a slight rise from 73 posted on Monday and 64 cases reported on Sunday.After daily infections hit 133 on Wednesday last week, they have been in double-digit figures. The drop was in part attributed to fewer tests carried out over the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through Sunday.Health authorities had advised people to refrain from visiting their family members and relatives this year over the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving.They also allowed public transportation to sell only window seats in line with efforts to prevent the spread of the virus over Chuseok, when mil

Oct 6, 2020
New virus cases under 100 for sixth day

Nurses at greater risk of coronavirus infection than doctors

By Bahk Eun-jiNurses are at greater risk of contracting coronavirus than doctors because they come into contact with patients more often, according to data submitted to Rep. Choi Youn-suk of the People's Party by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Monday.Nurses in full protective suits line up to enter the treatment ward for novel coronavirus patients at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in Daegu, March 23. YonhapThe data showed 159 medical workers have been infected with COVID-19 over the nine months since Jan. 20 when the first patient was reported here. Until July 13, the number of medical workers infected with the virus was 133, but it increased by 26 in the last two months during the second wave of the pandemic. By occupation, 101 nurses were infected, followed by 33 nursing assistants, 11 doctors and 14 radiological technologists and physical therapists. Among the 101 nurses, 39 were infected through direct contact with COVID-19 patients while 44 were involved in group infections at hospitals. Sixteen nurses were infected while attending COVID-19 patients at treatment wards

Oct 5, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Nurses at greater risk of coronavirus infection than doctors

MIS-C cases confirmed in Korea for first time

GettyimagesbankTwo cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) were confirmed in South Korea for the first time, health authorities here said Monday.The two children ― an 11-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy ― were admitted to hospitals and recovered from the disease earlier this year, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).The KDCA has so far conducted an investigation into seven suspected MIS-C cases and confirmed that the two boys had the syndrome that affects several organs and systems in the body. The symptoms of MIS-C include inflammation of the blood vessels, swollen hands and feet, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.The first boy, after entering from the Philippines in early March, showed symptoms of a fever in late April before being hospitalized for a rash and diarrhea. He was discharged on May 11.The second boy first had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient and was admitted to a hospital for treatment, the KDCA said. He was later readmitted for other symptoms and confirmed to be a MIS-C case. The KDCA earlier publish

Oct 5, 2020
MIS-C cases confirmed in Korea for first time

No. of suicide attempts and self-inflicted injuries among young Koreans doubles in five years

GettyimagesbankThe number of reported suicide attempts and self-inflicted injuries among young South Koreans nearly doubled from 2015 to 2019, according to a ruling party lawmaker Monday.The number of those who sought medical attention from either suicide attempts or self harm aged between 9 and 24 reached 9,828 in 2019, according to Rep. Kang Byung-won of the Democratic Party.On average, 26.9 young Koreans either attempted suicide or suffered from self harm per day. Kang cited data submitted by the health ministry ahead of the ministry's annual parliamentary audit later this week.Last year's tally represents a near-twofold increase from 4,947 in 2015.The total reported number of young South Koreans who either tried to take their own lives or caused self harm during the 2015-2019 period amounted to 34,552."Extraordinary measures through pan-governmental efforts should be introduced in order to proactively seek out and identify adolescents at high risk of suicide and prevent self-harm attempts," Kang said.According to the state-run statistics agency Statistics Korea in April, suicide

Oct 5, 2020
No. of suicide attempts and self-inflicted injuries among young Koreans doubles in five years
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