15 Infected with 'Indo Variant' at Incheon Airport Quarantine Station... Quarantine Alert Raised

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] It has been confirmed that COVID-19 cases related to the Incheon International Airport Quarantine Station were infected with the variant originating from India.

Some of these individuals are presumed to have been exposed while managing overseas arrivals.

Notably, this is the first case of the Indian variant spreading domestically. It has been identified that secondary transmission has already occurred, raising alarms for quarantine operations.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 18th, a total of 15 confirmed cases related to the Incheon Airport Quarantine Station were all infected with the variant virus derived from India.

Among them, 9 are workers, 1 is a family member, 1 is an acquaintance, and 4 are other cases.

Regarding the Incheon Airport Quarantine Station, since the first confirmed case on the 27th of last month, employees and dispatched military personnel have consecutively tested positive. These cases are currently classified as Indian variant cases, and health authorities are conducting detailed investigations.

Since the 12th of this month, no additional confirmed cases have emerged, but the outbreak situation has not yet ended.

Of the 15 confirmed cases, 7 were 'overseas arrivals' who received isolation treatment at facilities under the jurisdiction of the Incheon Airport Quarantine Station, and the remaining 8 were classified as cases related to overseas arrivals. The 8 overseas arrival-related cases are classified as domestic infections, meaning infections that occurred within the country. The CDCH stated that this is the first case of the Indian variant spreading domestically.

Health authorities presume that the infection was transmitted from Indian variant-infected individuals to quarantine station workers. The CDCH estimates that the initial infection route was from an Indian variant-infected individual.

The Indian variant is a variant virus designated as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organization (WHO), following the UK, South Africa, and Brazil variants. Commonly called the 'double mutant,' there are a total of 87 Indian variant cases, with 79 imported cases and 8 domestic infections.