Virus Found on Items Used by Coupang Employee, but Delivery Packages Pose Less Risk (Update)

COVID-19 Central Disease Control Headquarters Regular Briefing
"Positive Reactions Found on Hats and Laptops, but Virus Likely Not Infectious"

Coupang freight vehicle access has been restricted since the 28th due to the closure of the Coupang Goyang Logistics Center in Wonheung-dong, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do.<이미지:Yonhap News>

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Daeyeol] The quarantine authorities confirmed that viruses were detected on safety helmets and office supplies such as laptops, keyboards, and mice used by employees at the Coupang logistics center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. This has caused some people to worry that the virus might be included in the items delivered to households by Coupang, potentially leading to infection through parcel delivery.

In conclusion, the quarantine authorities judge that the possibility of transmitting the virus via parcel delivery is extremely low. Experts share a similar view. The detection of the virus on hats and office supplies used by employees at the logistics center means that a positive reaction was observed in the genetic test (real-time RT-PCR test) currently used to determine COVID-19 infection status.

This testing method involves an amplification process, so even an extremely small amount of virus or traces of the virus can yield a positive result. In other words, many infected individuals unknowingly spread the virus while working inside the logistics center, leaving traces of the virus on some items, but the likelihood that the virus is alive and infectious is low. The quarantine authorities have been conducting genetic tests on environmental samples in cases of cluster infections at specific facilities.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said at the regular briefing on the 29th, "The concentration of the virus found in the environmental samples from the Coupang logistics center was not high," adding, "A positive PCR test does not necessarily mean that the virus is alive or infectious."

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), is answering reporters' questions after concluding a regular briefing on the domestic COVID-19 outbreak status and interim investigation results of confirmed patients on the afternoon of the 29th at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in Cheongju, Chungbuk.

"Low Possibility of Virus Transmission Through Parcel Delivery"
603 Line Haul Drivers Who Visited the Logistics Center Underwent Testing and Active Monitoring

She continued, "Since the items were contaminated with the virus, a culture test is needed to determine whether the live virus survived until then," adding, "Although the virus is not infectious, the presence of viral traces suggests that infection could have spread through shared items used by multiple people, but it is difficult to consider the risk of infection through parcel delivery as the same."

The case of patients who recovered from COVID-19 and later test positive again (re-positive) is similar. There have been no reported cases of re-positive patients infecting their contacts, as the PCR test detects traces of the virus remaining from the past infection.

On the 29th, citizens lined up to get tested for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a screening clinic set up at the Bucheon City Public Health Center in Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Another factor lowering the possibility of infection through parcel delivery is that employees from the logistics center with many confirmed cases do not directly visit households to deliver items. This logistics center prepares items upon receiving customer orders and transports them via line haul drivers to small local logistics facilities called "camps," from where items are delivered to each household. The delivery personnel commonly known as "Coupangmen" pick up items from the camps to deliver to households.

It has been identified that 603 line haul drivers visited this logistics center, and authorities understand that most did not leave their vehicles while at the Bucheon logistics center. However, diagnostic tests are being conducted on all line haul drivers, and active monitoring is underway to check for symptoms.