[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jucheol In] A confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has occurred in Daegu, causing anxiety among citizens.
The 31st confirmed domestic case was found to have visited places where many people gather, such as a wedding buffet and religious facilities. It was also investigated that the patient took taxis five times.
According to Daegu City and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on the 18th, the 31st patient, a 61-year-old woman (resident of Seo-gu), showed symptoms of fever and pneumonia at 3:30 PM on the 17th and visited the Suseong-gu Public Health Center in Daegu. She was then transferred to Daegu Medical Center and isolated in a negative pressure room. The patient was confirmed positive in the final test by the KCDC.
The patient was involved in a traffic accident at 10:30 PM on the 6th and visited a traditional Korean medicine hospital (Saeronan) in Beomeo-dong, Suseong-gu the next day, and was admitted at 9 PM the same day. It was investigated that she went to work at her workplace in Dong-gu on the 6th and 7th before hospitalization.
On the 9th and 16th, she also participated in two-hour worship services at a church in Nam-gu (81 Daemyeong-ro, Nam-gu, Shincheonji Daegu Church). On the 15th, she had lunch between 10:30 AM and 12 PM at a wedding buffet (Queen Bell Hotel) in Bangchon-dong, Dong-gu. It was confirmed that she used taxis five times in total while visiting the wedding hall, church, and Suseong-gu Public Health Center.
According to the KCDC, the patient developed a fever over 38 degrees Celsius on the 10th, three days after hospitalization. Before the fever, she had chills on the 7th and sore throat on the 8th. Pneumonia was confirmed by imaging on the 14th, and antibiotic treatment was started.
The health authorities explained that the patient's overall condition is generally good except for pneumonia symptoms.
The KCDC dispatched a 14-member field response team to Daegu to cooperate with Daegu health authorities to identify the infection route, detailed movement, and contacts of the 31st patient.
According to Daegu City, the 31st patient visited the headquarters of her company located in Gangnam, Seoul, on the 29th of last month.
The health authorities restricted access to the traditional Korean medicine hospital visited by the 31st patient and placed staff under self-quarantine. They also decided to transfer 33 patients who were hospitalized there to other medical facilities. Additionally, the Queen Bell Hotel, Shincheonji Daegu Church, and the confirmed patient's workplace were closed and emergency disinfection was carried out.
Two family members classified as close contacts, four coworkers, four acquaintances, and five taxi drivers are under self-quarantine and undergoing infection testing. Three doctors, two nurses, public service workers, and 11 personnel from the civil service office at Suseong-gu Public Health Center are also self-quarantined.
Daegu City and the KCDC stated, "We are comprehensively analyzing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and card usage details related to the patient's movement to track the travel route."
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