Active Monitoring of 69 People Contacted with Second Confirmed Case of 'Wuhan Pneumonia'

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Koo Chae-eun] Health authorities have begun active monitoring of a total of 69 people who came into contact with the second confirmed domestic patient of the novel coronavirus infection, commonly referred to as 'Wuhan pneumonia.'

On the 24th, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) identified the movements and contacts of the second confirmed domestic patient (a 55-year-old Korean male) and disclosed his travel route. The patient had been working in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China since April 2019 and stated that he first experienced symptoms of a sore throat on the 10th of this month. His symptoms worsened with body aches, and he visited a local medical institution on the 19th. Since his temperature was normal at that time, he left Wuhan on the 22nd, traveled via Shanghai, and arrived at Gimpo Airport on Shanghai Airlines flight FM823.

During the quarantine process upon entry, the health authorities detected a fever symptom via a thermal camera, and after receiving a health status questionnaire and conducting a quarantine inspection, it was found that the patient had a fever (37.8°C) and sore throat but no respiratory symptoms, so he was classified as an 'active monitoring subject.' The patient was also informed about how to report if symptoms changed and the local health center was notified.

The patient stated that he took a taxi from the airport to his home and stayed only at home thereafter. On the 23rd, as his sore throat worsened, he requested medical care at the local health center and was examined at the health center's screening clinic. An X-ray examination revealed signs of bronchitis, and the central epidemiological investigator classified the patient as a symptomatic subject for investigation and conducted a test for the novel coronavirus, confirming him as the second patient on the morning of the 24th.

As of now, the KCDC reports that a total of 69 people have come into contact with the patient and they are conducting additional investigations regarding the presence of symptoms among them. Furthermore, regardless of symptom presence, the KCDC plans to notify the respective local health centers to conduct active monitoring for 14 days. Those classified as active monitoring subjects due to contact with the patient include 56 passengers seated near the patient on the aircraft, 4 airport staff, 1 taxi driver who transported the patient home, 1 person who shared the apartment elevator, 5 health center staff, and 2 family members.

Active monitoring involves health authorities contacting the subjects by phone on days 1, 2, and 7 from the last day of contact with the patient to check for respiratory symptoms. Those classified as active monitoring subjects receive guidance to wear masks and refrain from outdoor activities as much as possible. If suspicious symptoms appear during monitoring, the individual will be isolated and tested.