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| Having learnt its lessons from the previous MERS outbreak, South Korea was better prepared this time around for the coronavirus pandemic. |
In 2015, South Korea witnessed an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which created a havoc in its healthcare system. It resulted in numerous casualties and seriously dented their economy. This outbreak had taught South Koreans that the disease-causing virus could grow exponentially and it was important to take measures in early stages of outbreak to prevent catastrophic consequences in future.
This forced the Seoul government to update its epidemic response so that they could be able to fight against similar outbreaks in future. The most striking feature of South Korea's success is its ability to contain the virus without imposing lockdowns like that of China, Italy, Spain or France.
Several measures were responsible for South Korea's success. Here we try to illustrate them one by one.
Large-scale Manufacture of Test Kits
Just after the first case of coronavirus was identified in South Korea, government officials directed biotech companies for a large-scale manufacture of test kits. Not only was making of test kits quick, but also they were given approval for use in early. This was a pre-plannned anticipated move as the officials had already realised that mass testing was essential for a pandemic control.
Adequate Personal Protective Equipments for Healthcare Workers
The 2015 MERS outbreak had taught South Koreans a lesson that infection to healthcare workers hindered the control of virus. They realised that it was absolutely necessary to have safe testing and treatment facilities available during the time of an outbreak. So, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) had already prepared for an anticipated similar outbreak in future by ensuring that adequate PPEs were in store.
Tracking of People Who Had Travelled to Wuhan
The government contacted everyone who had a recent travel history to Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the global pandemic. They were advised to follow immediate isolation measues, were tested, their movements analysed and their contacts traced.
Large-scale Organized Testing
Early large-scale manufacture of test kits enabled South Korea to conduct large-scale testing when they identified the source of infection. This helped them to understand the spread of virus in early stages and take quick apt measures.
Additional Testing Centres
Numerous makeshift testing centres were built which prevented hospitals and clinics from getting overwhelmed. These included drive-thru testing stations, testing stations outside airports and other public hotspots which allowed testing to occur in large-scale early on. At present, South Korea can conduct around 20,000 tests per day through its 600 different testing locations.
Early Identification of Source of Infection
A superspreader was identified in Daegu, who had infected hundreds of people at the Shincheonji Church. The 61 year old woman visited the church on 9 and 16 February and had come into contact with a large number of people. She was already ill during her visit which possibly confirms that those who came into her contact may also have been infected. This early information was vital as all the people who visited the church was explained about the situation and were asked to stay in isolation. This approach prevented the virus from spreading to wider group of people and was a big step in South Korea's coronavirus success.
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| One of the reasons for South Korea's success was due to its strategy of mass testing which helped understand the spread of virus better. |
Case Isolation, Contact Tracing & Quarantine of Contacts
Those who tested positive were kept in isolation. Their contact history was taken and their contacts were also traced, tested, isolated and if required treated. All of these significantly curtailed the outbreak and prevented it from spreading to wider areas.
Surveillance of Infected People Through CCTV, Bank Cards & Phones
With the help of CCTV, bank card transactions and mobile phone locations, health authorities were able to follow the movements of infected people. They identified people who came into contact with these infected cases who were then told to self-isolate and report their temperatures daily. This whole process was carried out under KCDC as COVID-19 Smart Management System. What's incredible is that the process takes only about 10 minutes to fetch the results!
Hospitalization According to Priority
High-risk patients with underlying illness were hospitalized. Those with moderate symptoms were sent to repurpose facilities where they received basical medical support. Those with minimal symptoms and close contacts were ordered self-quarantine for 2 weeks. This priority-based treatment approach helped in lowering the mortality rate considerably to only 2%. A monitoring team was set up to make sure that those in self-quarantine were staying put. Those who were found violating self-quarantine were fined.
Sharing Travel Information of Cases on Websites, Apps & Text Messages
Movements of the infected people were not only used by health professional, but also it was shared on national websites, apps, and text messages. This allowed citizens to avoid these locations and stay safe. Although it looks as if it is an overexposure of a person's privacy, but actually this sharing of information prevented citizens from panicking.
Use of Apps
Partnering with different tech companies, the government had implemented development of different apps in order to share information with citizens and prevent any panicking. These apps had a wide variety of information such as those related to symptoms, locations where masks can be brought, social distancing and quarantine informations. Even apps also gave information about locations where cases had travelled and an alert was given when an infected location was within 100m of their position.
Voluntary Social Distancing
South Korea's success wasn't just due to healthcare workers or government. The citizens also played their crucial part in this success story. Past experience with MERS in 2015 had made South Koreans realize the importance of wearing mask and social distancing during outbreaks. This approach of citizens also helped the government in early control of the pandemic though there weren't any official lockdowns.
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