Amid observations that the lifting of the mandatory mask wearing in public transportation will be moved forward this month, the British media Telegraph introduced the Korean government’s successful response to Corona 19 on the 13th (local time).
In an article titled “How South Korea avoided a national lockdown,” the Telegraph said, “(The South Korean government) emergency approved the mass release of COVID-19 test kits in the early stages of the pandemic, saving thousands of people.” He cited the rapid response of the government authorities as a factor for success.
“British health authorities are ‘well prepared for COVID-19. The risk was low,” he said. “At the end of March of that year, Corona 19 indiscriminately swept nursing homes, and the British government’s declaration was in vain,” he compared with the Korean government’s response.
Ji Young-mi, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reportedly said in an interview with the Telegraph that “large-scale diagnostic tests and swift government action were the keys to success.”
Commissioner Ji explained, “Quick measures start with diagnostic tests,” and “Korea was able to contain the spread of the virus with quick diagnostic tests.”
The media described, “There is a state-of-the-art situation room at the center of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” and “the wall is filled with real-time charts such as the number of confirmed cases per day, the number of available beds, and the status of vaccination by region.”
“How did Korea do so well? What was different about (Korea’s response) from Western countries, including the UK?”
The media cited the MERS quarantine experience and the fact that the quarantine policy accompanied public trust as factors for success in quarantine. The main evaluation was that the spread of the disease was effectively controlled through rapid diagnosis.
The media introduced the secret of success as the fact that Korea was able to quickly recognize and respond to the seriousness of Corona 19 in the early stages through the infectious disease-related infrastructure built during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in 2015.
“South Korea simulated the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, two weeks before there were initial reports that the virus had occurred at a seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, China,” Ji explained.
The Telegraph evaluated this as “reinforcing the need for rapid and extensive testing.”
When COVID-19 broke out, South Korea quickly distributed test kits to public and private medical institutions across the country before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency.
Commissioner Ji said, “It was key to have diagnostic capabilities early,” and “we have never had a problem with a shortage of (diagnostic kits).” Commissioner Ji emphasized that in March of last year, the largest number of tests were conducted with 620,000 cases per day, but the results were usually received within 24 hours.
The media analyzed that Korea was able to implement an effective tracking and treatment system from the beginning, and that it was able to prevent a total blockade through inspection capabilities and a tracking system through CCTV and mobile phones.
There are already 2,700 negative pressure beds in Korea that can isolate infected patients. In contrast, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) does not hold data on negative pressure beds in the UK, the media pointed out.
In addition, public trust in the quarantine policy was cited as a success factor.
The British government imposed a strict lockdown across the UK on March 23, 2020 following the spread of Corona 19. The UK Parliament concluded that the government’s failure to implement appropriate border restrictions, including mandatory self-isolation, had introduced an influx of confirmed cases and contributed to their rapid spread.
Hyang Park, director of public health policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, claimed in an interview that “strengthened border restrictions are one of the reasons South Korea has been able to succeed.” At the same time, he introduced, “The Korean government shared all information through the Corona 19 daily briefing,” and “gained public trust in policies and government by transparently disclosing information.”
The media said, “The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) is not complacent (with this achievement)” and “is already planning the outbreak of the next epidemic (which Commissioner Ji believes is inevitable).”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.