Can US reopen safely? Korean doctor says it can - but only if 'almost everyone' wears a mask
Bang Sang-hyok, vice president of the Korean Medical Association, speaks during a recent interview at the organization's office in Seoul. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minBy Jung Min-hoU.S. President Donald Trump is calling for a speedy reopening of businesses closed by COVID-19 shutdowns while Democratic governors are seeking to maintain their restrictions.But can America's economy reopen safely? According to Bang Sang-hyok, vice president of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), it can ― only if almost everyone wears a face mask in public.After a surge in the number of patients three months ago, Korea has brought the coronavirus under control without imposing nationwide lockdowns. If there was one critical thing Korea did differently from the United States and other hard-hit countries, Bang said it was encouraging everyone, including healthy-looking people, to cover their faces during the early phases of the pandemic ― long before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did.“Lockdown cannot last forever,” Bang said. “If mask-wearing cannot be done volu
May 27, 2020By Jung Min-ho