Additional Confirmed Cases of Novel Coronavirus Total 19... Patient 17 Attended Conference in Singapore (Update)

A screening clinic for the novel coronavirus has been set up in front of the Emergency Medical Center at the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 5th, the scheduled date for the release from quarantine of the second confirmed domestic COVID-19 patient.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 5th that one additional patient infected with the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia) has been confirmed. Following the confirmation of two additional cases earlier that morning, one more case has been added, bringing the total number of confirmed domestic patients to 19. Among them, one patient was discharged on the same day, and currently, 18 patients are undergoing treatment.

The 19th patient is a 36-year-old Korean male who, along with the 17th patient confirmed earlier that morning, had attended a conference held in Singapore, according to the KCDC. He stayed in Singapore from the 18th to the 23rd of last month before returning to Korea. Like the 17th patient, he was notified following the confirmation of a Malaysian patient and contacted the local health center, entering self-quarantine from the 4th.

He tested positive in the examination conducted after the 17th patient's confirmation on the same day. This patient has been isolated at Seoul Medical Center, which has nationally designated inpatient treatment beds. The KCDC has dispatched an immediate response team, including epidemiologists, to conduct an epidemiological investigation. Specific movement paths and contacts have not yet been disclosed.