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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.

People showing MERS-like symptoms will not be immediately quarantined

South Korea's health authorities said Tuesday that people showing symptoms of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) will not be immediately quarantined at a hospital but allowed to stay at their homes. The revised rules drafted this year allow for people who may have contracted the potentially life-threatening sickness but are not suffering from breathing issues and are not showing signs of pneumonia to remain in their homes and be examined by trained personnel. The new operating protocol aims to prevent the early spread of MERS while alleviating unnecessary inconvenience for people, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.The ministry said that self-quarantine is adequate in preventing the illness' spread if people stay in rooms with natural ventilation and do not come into contact with outsiders.The government, meanwhile, said it is keeping close tabs on 21 people who had close contact with a man who tested positive for MERS. On Saturday, the 61-year-old man was diagnosed with the disease after returning home from a visit to Kuwait. MERS is a viral respiratory disease with a fata

Sep 11, 2018
People showing MERS-like symptoms will not be immediately quarantined
  • MERS fear: Authorities seek 50 foreign tourists in South Korea
  • Gov't struggling to find people in contact with MERS patients

EXCLUSIVE A case revealing loopholes of MERS quarantine guidelines

Quarantine officers ask health-related questions to travelers with high body temperature arriving from the United Arab Emirates, at Incheon International Airport, Monday, two days after a man was confirmed to have contracted Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) during a visit to Kuwait. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heun, Lee Kyung-minWith growing concerns over the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) here following the first confirmed case in three years ― a 61-year-old man Saturday ― the government has assured the public it will do all it can to contain the disease. However, it is apparently failing to deal with suspected cases. A man in his 20s in Seoul, who wished not to be named, travelled to Dubai with his colleagues last week. Since returning to Korea last Friday, he has been suffering from diarrhea, the same symptom of the confirmed patient who is suspected of having contracted the disease also during a trip to Kuwait.The man said he rode a camel there, an act which the health authorities tell people to avoid doing so as not to contract the disease. Not only he

Sep 10, 2018By Kim Jae-heun
[EXCLUSIVE] A case revealing loopholes of MERS quarantine guidelines
  • First MERS case detected in three years
  • Gov't tracking down 408 people with 'indirect exposure' to MERS patient
  • No vaccines, treatment against MERS yet

INTERVIEW Charbulanc seeking to enhance country's wellbeing treatments

Gerald Roden, CEO of Charbulanc, speaks at Korea University Medical Center in Seoul, Monday, about setting up a wellness center to better treat local patients. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Kim Hyun-binGerald Roden, CEO of Charbulanc which specializes in luxury wellness brands, is seeking to work with Korea University Medical Center (KUMC) in hopes of launching a wellness center.Wellness treatments are mostly used pre- and post-surgery using natural methods including massage, aromatherapy and ceramics to help patients recover.“The big idea is to treat people but also to make them happy. You have to prepare patients before, during and after the treatment. We want to work in collaboration with Korea University Medical Hospital and try to develop a global concept of wellbeing for people,” Roden said. Charbulanc, established in 2016 in Switzerland, is hoping to collaborate with the university to develop specialized products for Korean patients.“I have expertise in Switzerland and France but I can't say that about Korea, and which line of products best suits th

Sep 10, 2018By Kim Hyun-bin
[INTERVIEW] Charbulanc seeking to enhance country's wellbeing treatments

No vaccines, treatment against MERS yet

There are currently no vaccines or set treatments for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), industry officials said Monday, as the country confirmed over the weekend its first case in some three years.Pharmaceutical officials said that local drugmakers, such as Ilyang Pharmaceutical Co. and Gene One Life Science Inc., are in the process of developing potential vaccines that can tackle the disease in an effective manner following the outbreak in 2015. The 2015 outbreak resulted in 38 deaths and 186 people testing positive for MERS overall.In 2016, Ilyang Pharmaceutical's experimental MERS virus treatment was selected as a state-backed research project, but the process is still considered to be in the early stage, they said."It is yet difficult to disclose details for the research as it is still in the early stage," said a company official who asked not to be named.Gene One Life Science has also conducted early-stage clinical trials to test human antibodies as a targeted treatment for people infected with MERs. The process is still in the early stage and will take time.The first

Sep 10, 2018
No vaccines, treatment against MERS yet
  • First MERS case detected in three years
  • PM calls for 'excessive' precautionary measures on MERS
  • Gov't tracking down 408 people with 'indirect exposure' to MERS patient
  • EXCLUSIVE A case revealing loopholes of MERS quarantine guidelines

WHO 'ready to provide support' to contain MERS in Korea

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom / ReutersBy Jung Min-hoThe World Health Organization (WHO) is willing to support efforts to contain the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus in Korea, the UN organization said Sunday.The statement comes after a Korean man, 61, was diagnosed with the disease on Saturday ― the first MERS case in the country in three years. Since then, he has been treated in an isolated ward at Seoul National University Hospital.“WHO is in discussions with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on the required response and is ready to provide further support if required,” the WHO said in a statement. “While this case is unusual, it is not unexpected that MERS will occasionally appear outside of the Middle East. The risk of spread can be minimized by the implementation of rapid response measures, including adequate infection prevention and control measures in health care facilities, contact tracing and public communication.”According to the KCDC, the patient had traveled to Kuwait on business betwee

Sep 10, 2018By Jung Min-ho
WHO 'ready to provide support' to contain MERS in Korea

Gov't tracking down 408 people with 'indirect exposure' to MERS patient

By Park Si-sooThe government is tracking down 408 passengers and cabin crew who travelled to Seoul with a newly confirmed MERS patient on Seoul-bound Emirates flight EK 322 on Sept. 7.This follows the quarantine of 22 people who had direct contact with the patient, including the patient’s family members, medical professionals and a cab driver.The patient, 61, was diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) after returning from a business trip to Kuwait from Aug. 16 to Sept. 6. He took two flights to get home from Kuwait to arrive in Seoul on Friday _ Emirates EK 860 from Kuwait to Dubai, and Emirates EK 322 from Dubai to Incheon.“People who are believed to have been in close contact with the patient, including flight attendants, have been asked to stay at home,” said Jeong Eun-kyeong, an official at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.MERS swept South Korea in 2015, infecting 186 and claiming 38 lives. Almost 3,000 schools were shut down in June that year, while more than 124,000 foreign tourists, mostly from China, canceled their tr

Sep 10, 2018
Gov't tracking down 408 people with 'indirect exposure' to MERS patient
  • First MERS case detected in three years
  • PM calls for 'excessive' precautionary measures on MERS
  • Quarantine officials rapped for neglecting suspected MERS patient
  • No vaccines, treatment against MERS yet
  • EXCLUSIVE A case revealing loopholes of MERS quarantine guidelines

PM calls for 'excessive' precautionary measures on MERS

By Lee Kyung-min Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon called for “excessive” precautionary measures in dealing with a recent case of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Sunday, saying such a response is far better than “belated regret.”Lee presided over an emergency Cabinet meeting of relevant ministers convened to discuss countermeasures against the further spread of MERS. “In 2015, when the country had its first confirmed MERS outbreak that entailed 38 deaths, we as a nation experienced a great fear and frustration over the government's inept, irresponsible measures that fanned distrust among the public. We will not make the same mistake,” he said.“The whole developments should be disclosed to the public in a transparent and swift manner to ensure public safety.” The remarks came a day after a man, who took a three-week business trip to Kuwait, was confirmed to have been infected with MERS coronavirus (CoV), Saturday, a day after he arrived in Seoul. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the m

Sep 9, 2018By Lee Kyung-min
  • First MERS case detected in three years
  • Gov't tracking down 408 people with 'indirect exposure' to MERS patient
  • No vaccines, treatment against MERS yet

Quarantine officials rapped for neglecting suspected MERS patient

By Lee Kyung-min Criticism is mounting against quarantine officials, Sunday, over lax screening procedures at Incheon International Airport after they failed to report a passenger who was later confirmed to have been infected with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus (CoV). Despite the obvious major symptom of MERS _ diarrhea _ exhibited and reported by the patient prior to arrival at the airport, the quarantine authorities let him pass through the procedure. This led to over 20 people being quarantined at home for having come into close contact with him. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the man, 61, whose identity is being withheld, was confirmed to be infected with MERS-CoV, Saturday, a day after returning from a business trip to Al-Zour, Kuwait. While staying there from Aug. 16 through Sept 6, he visited a local medical institution Aug. 28 to treat diarrhea. He returned to Korea after a brief stop at Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport at 4:51 p.m. Friday, he underwent immigration an

Sep 9, 2018By Lee Kyung-min
  • First MERS case detected in three years
  • Gov't tracking down 408 people with 'indirect exposure' to MERS patient

Gov't to hold emergency meeting to discuss MERS outbreak

The government was set to hold an emergency meeting of Cabinet ministers Sunday to discuss measures to stem the spread of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) following the outbreak of the country's first MERS case in three years.Health authorities said Saturday that a 61-year-old man was confirmed to be infected with the lethal virus after returning from a business trip to Kuwait via Dubai of the United Arab Emirates. It marked the first case of the disease here since 2015.Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon was to preside over Sunday's meeting that will also include the health minister, the interior minister, and the chief of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), as well as hospital officials and private experts.They are expected to check the current situation and discuss steps to prevent the virus from spreading.According to health officials, the MERS patient visited a local hospital during his stay in Kuwait for diarrhea but showed the same symptom again on his way back home. He was rushed to the emergency room of Samsung Medical Center in southern Seo

Sep 9, 2018
Gov't to hold emergency meeting to discuss MERS outbreak
  • First MERS case detected in three years

First MERS case detected in three years

A patient in Seoul was diagnosed on Saturday with the first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea since 2015.The 61-year-old man, whose personal information was withheld for privacy reasons, was diagnosed with the disease at about 4 p.m. Saturday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.It is the first case of MERS diagnosed in South Korea since 2015, when an outbreak killed 38 people and triggered widespread panic.According to the KCDC, the man took a business trip to Kuwait from Aug. 16 to Sept. 6 and returned home via the United Arab Emirates on Friday. He visited a local hospital during his stay in Kuwait for diarrhea but showed the same symptom again on his way back home. He was rushed to the emergency room of Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport.The Samsung hospital checked the patient in an isolated section of the emergency room and reported him to the health authorities as a suspected case of MERS for showing symptoms of fever, phlegm and pneumonia. He was then moved to Seo

Sep 9, 2018
First MERS case detected in three years
  • Gov't to hold emergency meeting to discuss MERS outbreak
  • PM calls for 'excessive' precautionary measures on MERS
  • Quarantine officials rapped for neglecting suspected MERS patient
  • Gov't tracking down 408 people with 'indirect exposure' to MERS patient
  • No vaccines, treatment against MERS yet
  • EXCLUSIVE A case revealing loopholes of MERS quarantine guidelines
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