At Least 12 Confirmed Cases Related to Health Product Company 'Richway' (Update)

70s Male Seller Confirmed COVID-19 Positive, Causing Chain Infection Among Company Employees and Family

On the 4th, medical staff were busy moving around at the 'Seoul Namsan Residential Treatment Center' for managing mild and asymptomatic patients among confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection.
Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] At least 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 related to the door-to-door health product sales company 'Richway' have been identified as of the morning of the 4th. In particular, since this company is known to be frequently visited by elderly people, there are concerns about the spread among high-risk elderly confirmed cases.

On the 4th, Na Baekju, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Citizen Health Bureau, stated at the regular COVID-19 briefing, "After the first confirmed case of a man in his 70s from Guro-gu, who was a Richway seller in Gwanak-gu, on the 2nd, a total of 10 people tested positive, including 2 company employees, 4 sales agents, and 1 family member." Among them, 7 confirmed cases are in the Seoul area.

It was confirmed that the company held sales training and seminars on the 30th and 33rd of last month. The initial infection route is still under investigation.

Director Na added, "We have identified all the attendees of the seminar. Most of them are elderly people," and explained, "Currently, tests are being conducted on 199 people, including 11 company employees and 188 visitors who visited the company between the 21st of last month and the 1st of this month."

The first confirmed case related to Richway was a 72-year-old man (Guro 43rd, Seoul 887th) living in Sugung-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul.

He collapsed at the Richway office on the 1st and was transferred to Gangnam Seongsim Hospital in Yeongdeungpo-gu, where he was tested for COVID-19 and confirmed positive on the 2nd. It is known that this patient is currently hospitalized at Boramae Hospital.

In addition, two nurses at an internal medicine clinic in Guro-gu, where patient Guro 43rd visited on the morning of the 1st, have been classified as contacts and are under self-quarantine.

On the 3rd, a 65-year-old woman living in Hyochang-dong, Yongsan-gu (Yongsan 39th, Seoul 897th), a 56-year-old woman living in Gangnam-gu (Gangnam 77th, Seoul 903rd), and a 73-year-old man living in Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi Province (Seoul 904th) were each confirmed positive.

Also, an 83-year-old man living in Sasa-dong, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province (Ansan 17th) tested positive on the 3rd after being tested at Korea University Ansan Hospital.

Patient Ansan 17th visited Richway on May 29th. Symptoms such as headache and sore throat began to appear from the next day, the 30th.

On the 4th, a 69-year-old man living in Yongsan-gu (Seoul 912th), a 74-year-old man living in Hwagok 3-dong, Gangseo-gu (Gangseo 56th, Seoul 914th), a 59-year-old woman residing in Suwon who was tested in Gwanak-gu (Seoul 915th), and a 48-year-old woman living in Yeongdeungpo (Seoul 916th) were consecutively confirmed positive in Seoul.

Among them, patient Gangseo 56th is presumed to have been infected when visiting the Richway promotional center on the 1st. He entered self-quarantine from the 2nd and was confirmed positive for COVID-19 after testing at Gangseo-gu Public Health Center on the 3rd.

Confirmed cases have also emerged in Gyeonggi Province, not just Seoul. An 80-year-old man living in Seryu 2-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, who was a contact of Guro 43rd, was confirmed positive on the 4th and hospitalized at Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Anseong Hospital.

A 57-year-old woman living in Seonbu-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province (Ansan 18th) showed symptoms such as fever, mild cough, and sore throat on May 31st.

She was classified as a contact of Guro 43rd on June 3rd and tested at Danwon-gu Public Health Center. She was confirmed positive on the 4th and transferred to Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Paju Hospital.

An 83-year-old woman living in Beomgye-dong, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province (Anyang 39th) is presumed to have been infected after visiting Richway on the 30th of last month. She tested positive after being tested at Dongan-gu Public Health Center for 3 days while asymptomatic.