COVID-19 Testing Conducted Even Without Overseas Travel History

Medical staff are busy working at the screening clinic of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The government plans to allow diagnostic testing even for those without a history of overseas travel to prevent community transmission of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 17th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for COVID-19 held a meeting chaired by Director Park Neung-hoo (Minister of Health and Welfare) with various government ministries and local governments to discuss this plan. This was to prepare concrete implementation measures for the agenda discussed at the expanded Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting chaired by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on the 16th.

Through this meeting, it was decided that diagnostic testing will be conducted based on a doctor's opinion even if there is no history of overseas travel, and if necessary, diagnostic testing will also be conducted regardless of overseas travel history for patients hospitalized with pneumonia of unknown cause, based on medical staff judgment.

This decision was prompted by the case of the 29th confirmed domestic COVID-19 patient (born in 1938, male, Korean nationality) reported the previous day. This patient had no history of overseas travel and no contact with existing patients but visited a medical institution due to chest pain with suspicion of myocardial infarction. During treatment, a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed signs of pneumonia, leading to diagnostic testing and confirmation of infection.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters also requested the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments to strengthen management of self-quarantined individuals, expand contact isolation facilities by city and province, inspect the operation of screening clinics, and solidify plans for hospital beds and personnel management.