Four American Students in Gangnam-gu Confirmed Positive for COVID-19

Five Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Among US Students Studying Abroad Within Gangnam-gu

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Four American students studying at high schools and universities in the Boston area on the U.S. East Coast, who came to their homes in Gangnam-gu, were newly confirmed as COVID-19 positive cases on the 25th.

With this, the number of confirmed American student cases in Gangnam-gu alone has increased to five.

Two students attending high school in the Boston area are friends. When their school dormitory closed, they took the same flight, Asiana Airlines flight 0Z223 from New York, arriving at Incheon Airport at 4:15 a.m. on the 17th, and stayed at their homes in Daechi-dong and Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu.

Among them, the student living in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, began experiencing a sore throat, nasal congestion, loss of smell and taste, and a mild fever of 37.4℃ starting the morning after arrival on the 18th. After undergoing a specimen test at Gangnam Severance Hospital on the afternoon of the 24th, the result was positive.

The other high school student living in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, started showing a sore throat from the morning of the 24th, although their temperature was normal. Upon receiving notification that their friend who took the same flight was confirmed positive, they underwent a specimen test at the Catholic University Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital in Seocho-gu on the evening of the 24th and were confirmed positive.

Another student attending a university in the Boston area, due to the school closure order, arrived at Incheon Airport on the 15th at 4:25 p.m. on Korean Air flight KE082 from New York and stayed at their home in Yeoksam-dong. Starting from the afternoon of the 20th, they began experiencing muscle pain and sore throat symptoms, and from yesterday developed cough and sputum. After a specimen test at the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center yesterday afternoon, they were confirmed positive today at noon.

Another university student, whose dormitory was also closed, arrived at Incheon Airport on the 16th at 4:30 p.m. on Korean Air flight KE082 from New York and stayed at their home in Yeoksam-dong. They had no symptoms upon arrival but from the morning of the 21st began coughing, producing sputum, runny nose, muscle pain, chills, and general malaise. After seeing a notification from Gangnam-gu, they underwent a specimen test at Gangnam Severance Hospital yesterday afternoon and were confirmed positive this afternoon.

Gangnam-gu completed epidemiological investigations on the four students, notified the Incheon Airport Quarantine Station of the flights they took, and conducted disinfection of their homes and movement paths, as well as imposed self-quarantine measures on their family members and contacts.

Jung Soon-gyun, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, requested parents in Gangnam-gu with children studying in the U.S. to strictly maintain social distancing from airport pick-up onward, as the return of children currently staying in the U.S. is expected for the time being. He also asked for thorough two-week self-quarantine for the children and immediate visits to Gangnam-gu Public Health Center, Samsung Seoul Hospital, or Gangnam Severance Hospital for specimen testing if any unusual symptoms appear.

He also urged Gangnam-gu residents and students who returned from the U.S. after the 10th to voluntarily self-quarantine for two weeks as much as possible and to immediately visit the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center for testing if symptoms occur.

《Confirmed Cases’ Movement Routes》

■ 17-year-old female

□ March 17

04:15 Incheon Airport → 05:40 Return home (Airport bus → get off at Dogok Station → picked up by mother’s car) → 07:00 Home

□ March 18?23

Home

□ March 24

11:00 Visited Gangnam Severance Hospital screening clinic for testing (by car) → 12:00 Home

□ March 25

14:00 Confirmed positive

■ 17-year-old female

□ March 23