[COVID-19 1 Year] Recovered but Time Stands Still

One Year of the Nightmare COVID-19... From Prejudice to Hair Loss and Declined Lung Function, Suffering from Aftereffects

On the 19th, medical staff are collecting specimens at a temporary screening clinic for COVID-19 set up at Seoul Station Plaza. The Central Disease Control Headquarters of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that as of midnight on the same day, 386 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed domestically, bringing the total to 73,115. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] Although the new year has dawned, Mr. Kim Jong-won (alias)’s clock has stopped since last August. The suffering of Mr. Kim’s family began with a lunch with a neighborhood acquaintance that no one could have predicted.

Mr. Kim’s mother, Ms. A, was classified as a close contact of COVID-19 by the quarantine authorities last August and tested positive after a diagnostic test. It was later discovered that the neighborhood acquaintance who had lunch with her had participated in the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally and was confirmed positive.

The problem was Mr. A’s husband, Mr. B. Mr. B, who had undergone surgery after being diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer three years ago, also became infected with COVID-19, and his condition rapidly worsened. After hospitalization and treatment, Mr. B passed away alone in November.

Following the COVID-19 death guideline of ‘cremation before funeral,’ the funeral was held without a mourning hall. Ms. A is still enduring days of pain. She suffers from nightmares every day with the guilt that she caused her husband’s death. Mr. Kim said with teary eyes, "I never thought COVID-19 would completely take away my family’s daily life."

Social prejudice and discrimination against COVID-19 survivors are even more unbearable pain. Mr. Jung Sang-jin (alias), who was confirmed positive and recovered during the spread of infections from the Itaewon clubs last May, said, "I hid the fact that I was positive as much as possible because I was afraid of social stigma," and appealed, "The wrong perception that treats confirmed patients like criminals must also change." Survivors are still not ‘recovered’ socially.

73,115 Confirmed Positive... 58,723 Recovered but Significant Aftereffects
Experts: "Follow-up observation must continue after discharge"

It has been one year since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Korea on the 20th. The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 19th, 73,115 people in Korea have tested positive for COVID-19, and among them, 1,283 have died.

Although 59,468 people have been declared recovered and are living their daily lives, the suffering has not ended. Many survivors suffer from various aftereffects such as hair loss, fatigue, and decreased lung function even after recovery. Mr. Park Ji-woon (alias), who recovered last November, said, "It is distressing because a handful of hair falls out every time I wash my hair," and added, "I used to enjoy hiking and climbed rugged mountains every week, but now even a little exercise makes me short of breath and exhausted."

Intermediate results of a clinical aftereffects study conducted by the National Institute of Health and the National Medical Center on 40 adult patients hospitalized after COVID-19 infection showed that at three months after recovery, hair loss and shortness of breath during exercise were relatively high.

At six months after recovery, many survivors complained of fatigue. Lung computed tomography (CT) scans showed that lung inflammation remained three months after recovery, and although most improved after six months, some patients developed pulmonary fibrosis. Researchers from the University of Leicester in the UK and Statistics Korea reported that one in three survivors who were hospitalized for COVID-19 are re-hospitalized within five months.

Professor Chun Eun-mi of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Ewha Mokdong Hospital pointed out, "Since systemic complications including lung problems can occur after being discharged with a recovery diagnosis, continuous follow-up observation such as blood tests and lung CT scans must be conducted," and added, "Many patients also complain of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, so financial support from the government is necessary."