On the 14th, as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) related to Itaewon clubs increases, citizens are lining up to get tested at a walk-through screening clinic set up at a public parking lot in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mo Honam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] It has been confirmed that four female nurses in their 20s to 40s at Samsung Seoul Hospital were infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the Seoul Metropolitan Government and quarantine authorities are investigating the infection routes and whether there are additional confirmed cases.
On the 19th, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a COVID-19 briefing, "Yesterday (the 18th) around 5 p.m., we received a report from Samsung Seoul Hospital that one nurse in the thoracic surgery operating room tested positive. Additional test results showed that three other nurses who worked together were also confirmed positive," adding, "There is a possibility of more confirmed cases."
Among the three additional confirmed nurses, one participated in surgery with the first infected nurse (Seoul patient number 742), and the other two worked together on tasks other than surgery, according to Seoul city.
Mayor Park said, "Among 277 contacts, including 262 medical staff who participated in surgery or had contact such as meals, and 15 patients, tests are being conducted on 265 people," and added, "The hospital partially closed the third floor operating room and changing rooms of the main building and conducted emergency disinfection, completing disinfection along the movement paths."
He continued, "Considering that the outbreak occurred in a large hospital and the infection route is unclear, we judge the situation to be serious and have formed an 18-member rapid response team to investigate movement paths, contacts, and infection routes."
According to Seoul city and Samsung Seoul Hospital, the initially infected nurse participated in surgery on the 14th and performed patient classification work at the operating room entrance on the 15th. She did not come to the hospital during the weekend of the 16th and 17th and developed a fever on Sunday the 17th, not coming to work on Monday either.
The nurse underwent a COVID-19 diagnostic test after symptom onset, waited at home, and was confirmed positive on the evening of the 18th, after which she was transferred to a nationally designated hospital.
Earlier, the thoracic surgery where this nurse participated was confirmed by Seoul city to be operated under negative pressure conditions among the operating rooms at Samsung Hospital.
The hospital stated that patient number 742 had not visited the Itaewon area in Yongsan-gu, where a recent COVID-19 cluster infection occurred, nor had contact with acquaintances who had been to Itaewon.
Meanwhile, as of 10 a.m. on the same day, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Seoul reached 750, an increase of 14 from the previous day. Among them, four were related to the Itaewon club cluster infection, four were confirmed after entering from overseas, and one had contact with confirmed cases from other cities or provinces. Five people, including the four nurses from Samsung Seoul Hospital, are under investigation for their infection routes.
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