South Korea - The Korea Times

US notifies UN of withdrawal from World Health Organization

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference organized by Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents amid the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, July 3, 2020. ReutersThe Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, although the pullout won't take effect until next year, meaning it could be rescinded under a new administration or if circumstances change. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said he would reverse the decision on his first day in office if elected.The withdrawal notification makes good on President Donald Trump's vow in late May to terminate U.S. participation in the WHO, which he has harshly criticized for its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused of bowing to Chinese influence.The move was immediately assailed by health officials and critics of the administration, including numerous Democrats who said it would cost

Jul 8, 2020

US notifies UN of withdrawal from World Health Organization

Daewoong-Medytox botox fight to end without winner

USITC to ban Daewoong Nabota's US entry for 10 yearsBy Nam Hyun-wooDaewoong Pharmaceutical's Nabota / Courtesy of Daewoong PharmaceuticalThe long-drawn-out legal battle between Medytox and Daewoong Pharmaceutical over the origin of their botulinum toxin (BTX) strains is expected to end up hurting both companies, as the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) on Tuesday made an initial determination banning the import of Daewoong's Nabota BTX into the country for 10 years, following Medytox's accusation. Since Korea's drug authority decided to suspend the manufacture, sale and use of Medytox's BTX, Meditoxin, in Korea, industry officials say the four-year battle between the two companies will likely end without a winner.According to Medytox, the USITC made an initial determination that Daewoong Pharmaceutical's Nabota, marketed as Jeuveau in the U.S., will be banned from import to the U.S. for 10 years, as it violated USITC's Section 337 regulation related to unfair competition. Citing the initial determination seen by its law firm, Medytox said the USITC has recognized that Daewo

Jul 7, 2020By Nam Hyun-woo

Daewoong-Medytox botox fight to end without winner

Concern grows over unrelenting spread of COVID-19

Public officials prepare kits packed with quarantine-related goods, including face masks and thermometers, in the southwestern city of Gwangju, Tuesday, for delivery to people who are self-quarantining at home. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe health authorities are increasingly concerned as the spread of COVID-19 here is accelerating, with recent outbreaks having occurred in everyday places such as apartments, gyms and golf courses, officials said Tuesday.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said 29 coronavirus infections have been connected to an apartment block in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. The apartment's elevator was considered the most likely vector for infection as residents' movements did not overlap anywhere else. Elevators, however, had not been identified as a clear route for infection, the KCDC said. Experts also warn that the coronavirus can survive for several days on surfaces, so there is always a risk that droplets from an infected person could spread the virus on elevator buttons. In other words, people can be exposed to the risk of infection in the

Jul 7, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Concern grows over unrelenting spread of COVID-19

S. Korea reports 44 new coronavirus infections

S. Korea reports 44 new coronavirus infections

South Korea saw its daily new virus cases hover below 50 on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, but a steady rise in both locally transmitted infections and imported cases continued to put a strain on the country's efforts to contain further spread.- S. Korea reports 44 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 13,181- 1 additional coronavirus death, total death toll at 285- 66 more people released after full recoveries from coronavirus, total cured patients at 11,914South Korea saw its daily new virus cases hover below 50 on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, but a steady rise in both locally transmitted infections and imported cases continued to put a strain on the country's efforts to contain further spread.The country added 44 cases, including 20 local infections, raising the total caseload to 13,181, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).The tally marked a slight decrease from 61 new cases of COVID-19 reported Sunday and 63 new cases on both Friday and Saturday. The country added 48 new cases on Monday.Of local infections, seven case

Jul 7, 2020

S. Korea reports 44 new coronavirus infections

Concern grows over unrelenting spread of COVID-19

More children falling victim to coronavirus

Medical workers test daycare center children and their families at a drive-through center in the southwestern city of Gwangju, Monday, after two children at the center were confirmed to be infected with the virus. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiConcern is growing over the safety of young children here as more preschoolers are falling victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to quarantine officials, Monday.Preschool siblings attending daycare centers in Gwangju were confirmed to have coronavirus infection that day, following a series of confirmed cases among children a day earlier, including elementary school brothers in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The two preschoolers, a girl, 6, and her brother, 4, in Gwangju, were confirmed to have had contact with their 70-year-old grandmother, who is among 110 patients in the region, according to the Gwangju Metropolitan Government. The health authorities will conduct full testing of children and teachers in the daycare center, and their family members.In Seongnam, a first grader at Tancheon Elementary School and his third grader elder brother were also

Jul 6, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

More children falling victim to coronavirus

S. Korea reports 48 new coronavirus infections

South Korea saw its daily new virus cases slightly fall Monday, but a steady rise in both locally transmitted infections and imported cases continued to put a strain on the country's virus fight.- S. Korea reports 48 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 13,137- 1 additional coronavirus death, total death toll at 284- 16 more people released after full recoveries from coronavirus, total cured patients at 11,848South Korea saw its daily new virus cases slightly fall Monday, but a steady rise in both locally transmitted infections and imported cases continued to put a strain on the country's virus fight.The country added 48 cases, including 24 local infections, raising the total caseload to 13,137, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).The tally marked a slight decrease from 61 new cases of COVID-19 reported Sunday, as well as 63 new cases on both Friday and Saturday.Of local infections, seven cases were reported in the southwestern city of Gwangju, followed by six each in Gyeonggi Province surrounding Seoul and the western port city of Incheon.

Jul 6, 2020

S. Korea reports 48 new coronavirus infections

Is Korean economy faring better in pandemic?

China's Inner Mongolia warns after suspected bubonic plague case

The bubonic plague, known as the "Black Death" in the Middle Ages, is a highly infectious and often fatal disease that is spread mostly by rodents. Korea Times fileAuthorities in a city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia issued a warning on Sunday, one day after a hospital reported a case of suspected bubonic plague.The health committee of the city of Bayan Nur issued the third-level alert, the second lowest in a four-level system. The alert forbids the hunting and eating of animals that could carry plague and asks the public to report any suspected cases of plague or fever with no clear causes, and to report any sick or dead marmots.Sunday's warning follows four reported cases of plague in people from Inner Mongolia last November, including two of pneumonic plague, a deadlier variant of plague.The bubonic plague, known as the "Black Death" in the Middle Ages, is a highly infectious and often fatal disease that is spread mostly by rodents.Plague cases are not uncommon in China, but outbreaks have become increasingly rare. From 2009 to 2018, China reported 26 cases and 11 deaths.

Jul 6, 2020

China's Inner Mongolia warns after suspected bubonic plague case

Korea to offer telemedicine services for overseas builders

A doctor at Seoul National University Hospital talks to a patient from Mungyeong, in North Gyeongsang Province, during a telemedicine session on March 13. Korean doctors have strongly opposed telemedicine, but its use has been spreading amid the pandemic. /Korea Times fileKorea plans to start providing telemedicine services for overseas construction workers this year, the government said Sunday, amid heightened alert over new coronavirus infections among them.The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said it aims to launch the service in September at the latest, with four major hospitals expected to provide online medical care to construction workers abroad.The measures come after three Korean workers dispatched to overseas construction sites died after contracting the infectious virus. Nearly 90 workers have also tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the land ministry."A majority of overseas construction workers are at countries where medical circumstances are not good, and they are also (exposed to) high chances of COVID-19 infection, as they spend

Jul 5, 2020

Korea to offer telemedicine services for overseas builders

Gwangju fears becoming next Daegu

A child waits to receive a coronavirus test at a makeshift clinic in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, Sunday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiHealth authorities said Sunday that they are making all-out efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus in order to prevent Gwangju from becoming the new virus hotbed as sporadic infections continue to grow in the city.There are increasing fears among the public that a massive surge in community transmissions could occur resulting in the city experiencing a similar situation as was seen in Daegu, the epicenter of the country's first major COVID-19 outbreak. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) detected 61 new infections Saturday ― 43 local and 18 imported ― bringing the nation's total to 13,091. The death toll remained unchanged at 283. The country reported 63 new cases each on Thursday and Friday last week, marking the first time since April where daily new cases surpassed 60 for three consecutive days. Among the local infections, 15 cases were newly identified in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. The city has seen an

Jul 5, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Precautions needed to avoid food poisoning

The exterior of a kindergarten in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, where its pupils have complained of food poisoning symptoms, in this June 25 photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiHemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), sometimes referred to as “hamburger disease,” is a life-threatening condition that damages the kidneys. HUS was first recognized in the United States in 1982, when a large number of people presented with symptoms of severe and bloody diarrhea which was traced to contaminated hamburger patties. It was later found to be contaminated with enterohemorrhagic escherichia coli (EHEC).EHEC causes damage to the colon's mucous membrane, resulting in symptoms of bloody diarrhea and serious abdominal pain as it destroys the body's clotting cells. This causes thrombocytopenia, affecting red blood cells and causing hemolytic anemia. The destruction of these cells causes a buildup in the small blood vessels and tubules of the kidneys. The resulting damage to the kidneys leads to renal failure. HUS usually affects children between the ages of 1 to 10 years, but can also occur in adults. Accordi