Global COVID-19 Cumulative Cases Surpass 40 Million

Gangnam-gu to Conduct Specimen Tests for 20,000 Instructors Working at Large and Entrance Exam Academies, Adult Academies, and Private Tutoring Centers

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 40 million. According to the international statistics site Worldometer as of the morning of the 20th, the number exceeded 40.6 million, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, it is close to 40 million at 39.94 million. The cumulative death toll has reached 1.12 million.

As COVID-19 rapidly resurges mainly in Europe and the United States, the time it takes for confirmed cases to increase by 10 million is also shortening. It took more than six months for the global cumulative confirmed cases to reach 10 million since the first report at the end of last year, but it took only one month to increase from 30 million to 40 million on the 17th of last month.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), as of the 19th, the number of COVID-19 cases in Europe is increasing by more than 100,000 per day, approaching 5 million, and the death toll has exceeded 200,000. The WHO expressed concern that the number of new cases in Europe last week was nearly three times higher than the peak in March, and with the increase in hospitalized patients, intensive care units will reach their limits within a few weeks.

In the United States, which has the highest cumulative number of COVID-19 infections worldwide, the number of new daily infections is approaching the record high level seen at the end of July. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, predicted, “The next 6 to 12 weeks will be the darkest period in the entire COVID-19 pandemic.”

In South Korea, as of midnight on the 20th, 58 new confirmed cases were reported, maintaining below 100 cases for five consecutive days. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the average daily number of new local cases over the past two weeks (October 4?17) was 61.8, a decrease of 4.7 from the previous period. In particular, the metropolitan area saw a decrease from 51.8 to 46.6, a reduction of 5.2 cases.

However, the scale of cluster infections is increasing around nursing and rehabilitation hospitals, and sporadic infections continue in places such as call centers, pubs, and large supermarkets. With the autumn foliage season bringing more hiking visitors, the health authorities judge that risk factors still remain.

In fact, in the recent week when social distancing was eased to level 1 (October 11?17), the average daily number of new local cases was 62.1, slightly higher than the previous week’s 61.4.

Meanwhile, one instructor at a large academy located in Daechi-dong tested positive, causing concern among residents. Gangnam-gu has placed 60 people, including 55 students who had contact with the instructor and staff, under self-quarantine.

Furthermore, with the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) six weeks away, Gangnam-gu plans to conduct specimen testing on 20,000 instructors working at large and entrance exam academies, as well as adult academies and private tutoring centers in the area, to proactively ensure the health and safety of examinees. To facilitate efficient specimen testing, a temporary screening clinic will be set up near the Daechi 2-dong Community Service Center.

Gangnam-gu reported 3 additional confirmed cases on the day, bringing the cumulative total to 295. Residents of Gaepo-dong and Segok-dong were confirmed positive at the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center; the Gaepo-dong resident is a family member of a previously confirmed Gangnam-gu resident, and another Gaepo-dong resident was a contact of a previously confirmed Gangnam-gu resident.

Meanwhile, Gangnam-gu confirmed a total of 5 cases (4 residents, 1 from another region), including 2 who tested positive at a billiard hall located in Yeoksam-dong on the day. Disinfection has been carried out at the related location, and an epidemiological investigation is underway to identify additional contacts.

As of the day, Gangnam-gu is managing 752 individuals under self-quarantine, of whom 697 are overseas arrivals and 55 are domestic contacts.

The cumulative number of specimen tests conducted at the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center screening clinic is 62,151. Of the 292 tests conducted the previous day, 68 were overseas arrivals and 224 were domestic residents.

Since June, Seoul City has conducted proactive testing on 10,541 general citizens, and after the first confirmed case on the 15th of last month, 3 additional confirmed cases were reported on the 19th. According to Seoul City’s announcement yesterday, the proportion of confirmed cases with unknown infection routes last week (October 11?17) was 18.7%, down from 21.7% the previous week, but still more than three times the level of less than 5%, which is the criterion for level 1 social distancing.

To prevent such “silent transmission,” proactive specimen testing based on the infectious disease response principle of “early detection, early containment” is crucial. In this regard, Gangnam-gu has been conducting random specimen testing proactively since the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, discovering 90 asymptomatic infected individuals who were previously undetected, thereby preventing the spread of community infection in advance.