First Hospital Staff COVID-19 Case in Incheon... Closure of Incheon Medical Center Considered Depending on Situation (Update)

COVID-19 Testing [Image Source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] For the first time in Incheon, a hospital staff member tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Health authorities have begun preparing countermeasures, keeping in mind the possibility of hospital-acquired infection.

According to Incheon City and health authorities, A (34), an employee of Incheon Medical Center in Dong-gu, Incheon, was confirmed positive on the 3rd. The day before, A showed symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and a high fever of 37.7 degrees Celsius, underwent a COVID-19 test at the Incheon Medical Center screening clinic, and then returned home.

Incheon City plans to conduct COVID-19 testing in stages for personnel related to Incheon Medical Center. Following advice from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since it is unclear whether A was infected within the hospital, testing will begin sequentially with staff working in the rehabilitation treatment room on the basement first floor where he worked. He worked in the rehabilitation treatment room on the basement first floor of Incheon Medical Center from the 30th of last month to the 2nd of this month. From the 23rd to the 29th of last month, he was on sick leave after back surgery and did not come to work.

An Incheon City official explained, "It is unclear whether the infection occurred inside the hospital or in the community, so there was an opinion that investigations should start with Gangwon Sokcho City and Gyeonggi Dongducheon City, which the confirmed patient stated he had visited first," and added, "We also followed the opinion that gradually expanding the scope of testing rather than conducting a full survey of the medical center would be more effective in identifying the cause."

The city plans to close the hospital depending on the scale if additional confirmed cases occur within the hospital. If less than half of the total medical staff of 459, that is 229 or fewer, are confirmed or identified as contacts causing a shortage, the hospital will be partially closed and personnel support will be provided by general hospitals or medical associations. If a shortage of 70% or more, that is 321 or more, occurs, the entire hospital will be closed and inpatients will be transferred to other dedicated hospitals.

Currently, COVID-19 tests have been requested sequentially for 28 patients and 5 staff members classified as contacts of A within Incheon Medical Center. Among them, 8 who completed testing have tested negative. His wife and two children also tested negative.

Incheon City analyzed A’s movement path within the medical center using closed-circuit television (CCTV) and global positioning system (GPS) data and requested epidemiological investigations from the Sokcho and Dongducheon City public health centers he visited. As of 2:30 PM on the day, the total number of confirmed cases in Incheon is 79.