Korea Disease Control Headquarters Plans to Expand 'Wuhan Pneumonia' Contaminated Area from Wuhan to Entire China

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) plans to change the surveillance target contamination area from 'Wuhan' to 'the entire China' in order to identify suspected cases of 'Wuhan pneumonia' at the airport quarantine stage as much as possible. As a result, all travelers coming from China will be required to submit a health status questionnaire.

According to health authorities on the 25th, the KCDC is preparing a case definition that changes the contamination area from Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, to the whole of China. The case definition is a guideline used to distinguish 'confirmed cases,' 'suspected cases,' and 'investigated symptomatic persons' related to Wuhan pneumonia at airports and medical institutions.

An 'investigated symptomatic person' is someone who has developed a fever and respiratory symptoms (such as cough) within 14 days after visiting Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. A 'suspected case' refers to a person who has developed pneumonia or suspected pneumonia symptoms within 14 days after visiting Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, or someone who has had close contact with a confirmed case during the symptom onset period of the confirmed case and developed fever, respiratory symptoms, suspected pneumonia symptoms, or pneumonia symptoms within 14 days. A 'confirmed case' refers to a patient actually infected with Wuhan pneumonia.

The KCDC is preparing to distribute a revised case definition that changes the contamination area from 'Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China' to 'China.' This measure follows China's emergency lockdown of Wuhan, the origin of the novel coronavirus, which has resulted in the suspension of direct flights from Wuhan to Korea, increasing the possibility that patients may enter the country from other regions within China rather than Wuhan.