40s Man Returning from China Dies... Paramedics and Police Officers Temporarily Quarantined

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-gi] A man in his 40s who recently traveled to China suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed, and was transported to a hospital but ultimately passed away. The paramedics and police who transported the man were temporarily quarantined due to concerns about COVID-19 infection.

According to police and fire authorities on the 13th, at around 7:30 a.m., a report was received by fire and police that Mr. A (41) had lost consciousness and collapsed at his home in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Mr. A was taken to a nearby hospital but died around 9 a.m.

During the transfer, it was revealed that he had traveled to Qingdao, China on the 30th of last month. At the time of transfer, Mr. A did not show suspected COVID-19 symptoms such as high fever or cough, but the hospital conducted a COVID-19 test considering his recent travel history to China.

Subsequently, access to the emergency room was restricted, the entrance used by the ambulance was closed, and emergency disinfection was carried out. Until Mr. A’s test result came back negative in the afternoon, the police and firefighters involved in the transfer were quarantined. The emergency room of the hospital where Mr. A died is currently operating normally.

The hospital stated, "There is no relation between COVID-19 and the patient’s death, but the cause of death is personal information and cannot be disclosed." A police official said, "The exact cause of death is currently unknown, but we obtained a statement from the bereaved family that the deceased had been suffering from a stroke and had not taken medication for the past three months."