Patient No. 31, 51 Days into Treatment... Longest COVID-19 Hospitalization in Korea (Update)

Image source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] It has been confirmed that the 31st domestic patient, who was diagnosed as the first COVID-19 case in the Yeongnam region and is a member of the Shincheonji Jesus Church in Daegu, has been undergoing isolation treatment for over 50 days. This patient is expected to be classified as the longest hospitalized case among confirmed patients so far.

On the afternoon of the 8th, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, stated at a regular briefing, "Until the 50th day, there were other (hospitalized) cases besides patient number 31, but from today onward, patient number 31 is the one hospitalized the longest."

Patient number 31 was confirmed positive on February 18 and has been hospitalized at Daegu Medical Center, receiving treatment for 51 days as of today. Deputy Director Kwon explained, "During the 2015 MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, there were cases of hospitalization lasting nearly six months. In the case of COVID-19, if symptoms are mild, they usually disappear within two weeks with treatment, but in severe cases, symptoms can last three or four weeks or even longer, as with patient number 31."

According to the quarantine authorities and Daegu city, patient number 31 still exhibits COVID-19 symptoms and has not met the criteria for release from isolation. Currently, COVID-19 patients are tested weekly after symptoms disappear, but patient number 31 is not yet able to undergo such testing. According to Daegu city's briefing on the same day, more than half of the COVID-19 patients in the Daegu area have been hospitalized long-term for over a month, including patient number 31.