Funeral of Shincheonji Leader's Elder Brother in Cheongdo... Hotbed of 'Super Spreader'?

Hometown of General Assembly President Recognized as Sacred Site
Congregants Visited Daenam Hospital Earlier This Month
Number of Mourners Yet to Be Confirmed

A staff member of Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo-gun is controlling access to the funeral hall. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea is showing a pattern of spreading nationwide through members and workers of the Shincheonji Daegu Church, dubbed the 'Shincheonji Virus.' Confirmed cases continue to emerge not only in Daegu but also in Jeonju and Gwangju among church members who attended services at the Shincheonji Daegu Church and returned home. In the psychiatric closed ward (protected ward) of Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk, where outside access is restricted, 15 patients were infected, and one of them died from pneumonia symptoms. The deceased tested positive for COVID-19 in a post-mortem specimen test. Quarantine authorities are investigating the cause of the cluster infection among Shincheonji Daegu Church members, and there are indications that Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo is related to this.

Funeral of 'Shincheonji Chairman's' Elder Brother in Cheongdo
Investigation into Possible Contact with Infection Source at Daenam Hospital

A government official stated on the 21st, "Earlier this month, there was a funeral for the elder brother of Lee Man-hee, the chairman of the Shincheonji Church, at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, and it is understood that church members visited the hospital's funeral hall." The exact number of mourners is unknown, but Cheongdo is the hometown of Chairman Lee. Among church members, it is considered a sacred place, and many visit regularly for volunteer activities, so it is highly likely that a considerable number of people attended the funeral.

The funeral took place from the 31st of last month to the 2nd of this month. Patient No. 31 (born 1959, Korean female), who is linked to 81 confirmed cases related to the Shincheonji Daegu Church, was also confirmed to have visited Cheongdo during this period. Jung Eun-kyung, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "It has been confirmed that patient No. 31 visited Cheongdo in early February," adding, "We are investigating where the patient visited and what activities were undertaken in the area through interviews and GPS verification." As of that morning, 16 confirmed cases, including inpatients and nurses, were reported at Daenam Hospital. It is possible that someone among the funeral attendees was infected with COVID-19, and through this person, hospital staff were infected, subsequently transmitting the virus to inpatients in the protected ward. Director Jung added, "There is suspicion of a connection between the transmission cases at the Shincheonji Church and Daenam Hospital," and "a detailed investigation is underway to determine any links."

Simultaneous Onset... Spreading Nationwide
Government "Securing Shincheonji Daegu Church Member List, Conducting Full Testing"

Quarantine authorities estimate that patient No. 31 was also exposed to the virus during this period. The onset of symptoms for this patient was around the 7th. Clinical experts have analyzed that the average incubation period for confirmed COVID-19 cases ranges from 3 to 4 days, up to a maximum of 7 to 8 days. If infected at the funeral, the symptom onset date aligns closely with the incubation period. Director Jung said, "Analyzing the onset dates of cases related to the Shincheonji Daegu Church, additional patients developed symptoms on the 7th, 8th, and 9th," and "Currently, it is believed that patient No. 31 was likely secondarily infected by someone else." It is also analyzed that these patients attended services at the Shincheonji Daegu Church on the 9th and 16th, potentially infecting others there.

Currently, 1,001 church members are identified as having attended services at the same time as patient No. 31. Attendees included members from Daegu as well as other regions, and cases of confirmed infections among those who returned to their residences are increasing. One person who visited the Shincheonji Daegu Church in Gwangju on the 20th-21st tested positive, and church member cases have also been reported in Gyeongbuk (2), Gyeongnam (2), and Chungbuk (1). Quarantine authorities stated, "We have already secured the list of 4,474 members out of approximately 9,000 Shincheonji Daegu Church members in the first phase," and "We plan to obtain the remaining lists and investigate recent overseas travel history and medical institution visits for all members."