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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Drug safety ministry in hot seat over remdesivir approval despite side effects

By Bahk Eun-jiSuspicions have been raised that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety granted conditional permission for anti-viral drug remdesivir to be used as a COVID-19 treatment, despite having received a report about side effects. Vials of Gilead's anti-viral drug remdesivir YonhapAccording to data submitted to Rep. Kang Gi-yoon of the People Power Party, Tuesday, the report on Phase 3 clinical trials conducted by Seoul Medical Center from March 27 to June 25 included possible side effects such as a lowered heart rate. Although the report was submitted to the drug safety ministry in April, the ministry granted authorization for remedesivir to be marketed as a coronavirus treatment July 24. The ministry said it was a conditional authorization and Gilead is still required to submit the final results of international clinical trials, data on manufacturing and quality control standards, and additional risk mitigation measures after marketing.Unlike special imports, marketing authorization indicates that considerable safety and effectiveness trials have been carried out on a substance

Sep 29, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Drug safety ministry in hot seat over remdesivir approval despite side effects

New virus cases smallest since early August, upcoming holiday crucial for virus fight

With just one day remaining until Chuseok (Thanksgiving) national holiday when the country expects a high volume of domestic travelers, a SRT high-speed railcar at Suseo Station in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District on Sept. 29 goes through disinfection to prevent spread of COVID-19. YonhapSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 50 on Tuesday for the first time since early August, but the country remains vigilant against possible cluster infections during a major holiday this week.The country added 38 more COVID-19 cases, including 23 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 23,699, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).The daily new cases are the lowest in 49 days since Aug. 11, when the country reported 34 cases, just before a new cluster of infections emerged from a church and an anti-government rally in Seoul on Aug. 15.Daily new local infections also stayed in double digits for the fifth straight day after the country reported 95 on Friday, 49 on Saturday, 73 on Sunday and 40 on Monday, the KDCA said.Despite the fall in new virus cases, heal

Sep 29, 2020
New virus cases smallest since early August, upcoming holiday crucial for virus fight
  • Nearly 1 million to travel by air during Chuseok despite gov't advisory
  • Chuseok events canceled nationwide due to coronavirus fears
  • Three confirmed to have contracted coronavirus and flu simultaneously

Three confirmed to have contracted coronavirus and flu simultaneously

GettyimagesbankThree people contracted the coronavirus and the flu simultaneously earlier this year, a top South Korean health official said Monday.The three tested positive for both influenza and COVID-19 in late February in the southeastern industrial city of Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said in a press briefing.She said the three never were in serious condition.The two areas were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year. Jeong said contractions of the coronavirus and the flu simultaneously have also been reported in other countries. (Yonhap)

Sep 28, 2020
Three confirmed to have contracted coronavirus and flu simultaneously
  • New virus cases smallest since early August, upcoming holiday crucial for virus fight

Global coronavirus death toll passes 1 million

After-work drinkers enjoy a pint outside the Market Porter pub in Borough Market in London on Sept. 25, 2020. AFPMore than one million people have died from coronavirus, according to an AFP toll, after the deadly disease emerged less than a year ago in China and swept around the globe.The pandemic has ravaged the world's economy, inflamed geopolitical tensions and upended lives, from Indian slums and Brazil's jungles to America's biggest city New York.Sports, live entertainment and international travel ground to a halt as fans, audiences and tourists were forced to stay at home, kept inside by strict measures imposed to curb the virus's spread.Drastic controls that put half of humanity ― more than four billion people ― under some form of lockdown by April at first slowed its pace, but since restrictions were eased cases have soared again.On Sunday 2230 GMT the disease had claimed 1,000,009 victims from 33,018,877 recorded infections, according to an AFP tally using official sources.The United States has the highest death toll with more than 200,000 fatalities followed by Brazil, Indi

Sep 28, 2020
Global coronavirus death toll passes 1 million

Nearly 1 million to travel by air during Chuseok despite gov't advisory

GettyimagesbankNearly 1 million people are expected to travel by air during the Chuseok fall harvest holiday despite the government's advisory asking people to remain at home to help contain the spread of COVID-19, transportation authorities said Monday.The Korea Airports Corp. (KAC) estimated that some 963,000 people will use domestic airports, excluding Incheon International Airport, during this year's extended Chuseok holiday, which starts Wednesday and ends Sunday.The figure represents a 25 percent drop from last year's tally of 1.29 million. But the projection is by no means considered low and comes as a concern, as state health authorities remain in a hard battle against a new wave of local transmissions that broke out in mid-August.The projected drop in the rate of airport usage is also smaller than March and April figures, when the country went through its first wave of mass outbreaks centered around Daegu. During the two months, the rate of air travel plummeted more than 50 percent on-year to 285,400 and 251,700, respectively. The government has designated Monday to Oct. 11

Sep 28, 2020
Nearly 1 million to travel by air during Chuseok despite gov't advisory
  • Seoul to run public transport until 2 am during Chuseok holiday
  • New virus cases smallest since early August, upcoming holiday crucial for virus fight

New virus cases lowest in 48 days

Family members in a car watch a drive-in circus from a parking lot in Seoul, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. APSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases increased by the smallest number in nearly two months Monday as the country steps up its virus fight ahead of Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving.The country added 50 more COVID-19 cases, including 40 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 23,661, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily new cases are the lowest in 48 days since Aug. 11 when 34 cases were reported. The daily new number is also sharply down from 95 a day earlier, but the fall in daily virus cases also came as virus tests tend to be fewer over the weekend than weekdays. The number of daily new infections bounced back to over 100 Wednesday and stayed over 100 Thursday and Friday. The number fell below 100 Saturday.New virus cases had been in the triple digits for more than a month since Aug. 14 due to cases tied to a church in Seoul and an anti-government rally before briefly falling below 100.The government has designated Mo

Sep 28, 2020
New virus cases lowest in 48 days
  • Korea raises guard against COVID-19 before Chuseok

407 people injected with mishandled flu vaccines: authorities

A nurse holds a seasonal flu vaccine at an unnamed hospital in Seoul on Sept. 22. YonhapMore than 400 South Koreans have been injected with seasonal flu vaccines that should not have been administered due to storage problems, but no side effects have been reported, health authorities said Sunday.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 407 people received the vaccines that were not supposed to be administered after being exposed to room temperature.The figure marked a hike from Saturday, when the agency reported 324 people received the flu shots.Still, none of the people injected with such vaccines have showed abnormal reactions, the agency said.Last week, the KDCA temporarily halted its plan to offer free seasonal flu vaccines after some of about 5 million doses of flu vaccines were partially exposed to temperatures outside the storage range.Inactivated vaccines should be stored in refrigerators, and exposure to room temperature could result in decreased vaccine potency and increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.But the safety of those vaccines exposed to

Sep 27, 2020
407 people injected with mishandled flu vaccines: authorities

In-car protests introduced amid pandemic

Anti-government protesters prepare to start a car-based demonstration from a parking lot in Mapo District, Seoul. Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong In response to the rising public criticism after the Aug. 15 rallies, some anti-government protesters have chosen an alternative way to make their voices heard ― while staying in their cars.On Saturday, almost 45 cars ― nine each in five groups ― cruised around Seoul bearing anti-government messages.One banner bore the slogan “Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae out.” Protesters also criticized Moon Jae-in and his government's pro-China, anti-U.S. foreign policies and acts of corruption by close aides of the President. Five groups drove on different routes ― Mapo Resevoir Parking Lot to Seocho Fire Office, Sadang Public Parking Lot to Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Dobongsan Station on lines 1 and 7 to Sinseoldong Station on lines 1, 2 and the Ui LRT, Sinseoldong Station to Wangsimni Station on lines 2, 5, the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the Bu

Sep 27, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
In-car protests introduced amid pandemic

Korea raises guard against COVID-19 before Chuseok

The domestic terminal of Gimpo International Airport is crowded by tourists, Sunday, ahead of the five-day Chuseok long weekend that starts Wednesday. Health authorities are bracing for a possible surge of COVID-19 infections during the holiday period as many movements of people across the nation are expected. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe government is striving to prevent the upcoming Chuseok holiday from causing another COVID-19 outbreak, urging citizens to comply with anti-virus guidelines to stem the virus spread during the five-day holiday that starts Wednesday.Health authorities said the holiday period may become a critical juncture in determining whether the country will experience yet another round of outbreaks or not, noting that they are staying vigilant over the possibility of additional virus patients emerging.The number of new daily virus cases here has been tallied at around 100 for about a week amid continued sporadic group infections at offices, nursing homes and daycare centers in Seoul and its surrounding areas. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agenc

Sep 27, 2020
Korea raises guard against COVID-19 before Chuseok
  • New virus cases lowest in 48 days

New virus cases stay below 100 amid vigilance ahead of key holiday

Duksoo High School in Seoul's Seongdong-gu District on Sept. 26 displays a poster informing outsider visitors not to enter with its main entrance gate shut. From Sept. 24, three of the school's baseball team members were infected with COVID-19. YonhapSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 100 for the second straight day Sunday as the country steps up its virus fight ahead of Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving. The country added 95 more COVID-19 cases, including 73 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 23,611, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The number of daily new infections bounced back to over 100 Wednesday and stayed over 100 Thursday and Friday. The number fell below 100 Saturday as health authorities focus on reducing further sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases in the greater Seoul area. New virus cases had been in the triple digits for more than a month since Aug. 14 due to cases tied to a church in Seoul and an anti-government rally before briefly falling below 100. Seoul added 34 new virus cas

Sep 27, 2020
New virus cases stay below 100 amid vigilance ahead of key holiday
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