![[사회]From UK to South Africa infection cases…’mutant virus’ emergency](https://image.ytn.co.kr/general/jpg/2021/0102/202101021755584069_t.jpg "[사회]From UK to South Africa infection cases…’mutant virus’ emergency")
[앵커]
The threat of mutant viruses coming from abroad is growing.
The number of confirmed mutant viruses originating in the UK has increased to 9, and cases of infection originating in South Africa have been confirmed for the first time.
There have also been cases of visiting marts and hospitals before the mutant virus is confirmed, and an epidemiological investigation is underway.
Reporter Go Han-seok reports.
[기자]
A man in his 80s who entered the country on December 13 last year and died on the 26th was confirmed to be infected with a mutant virus from the UK after death.
It turns out that this man’s family has been infected with the same virus.
Two of them returned from England on the same flight on the same day, and one who came a month before that.
In particular, the first person who entered Korea was diagnosed with Corona 19 on December 27 of last year while living with the family that followed.
In the process, the quarantine authorities conducted an epidemiological investigation with the possibility that a mutant virus from the UK could have spread to the community.
[임숙영 / 중앙방역대책본부 상황총괄단장 : 확진되기 전에 그 지역사회의 다른 분들을 접촉하셨던 것으로 나타나고 있는데, 접촉자들을 검사한 결과 현재까지는 확진자는 발생하고 있지 않습니다.]
Including these families, 9 people have been infected with the mutant virus from the UK so far.
In addition, one person infected with the mutant virus from South Africa was also identified for the first time during the entry quarantine process.
[권덕철 / 중앙재난안전대책본부 1차장 : 변이 바이러스의 국내 유입을 차단하기 위해 모든 외국인의 해외입국자에 대해서 PCR 음성확인서를 요구하고, 14일의 자가격리 해제 전에 진단검사를 추가로 실시할 것입니다.]
However, mutant viruses are more infectious and difficult to predict because they are poorly characterized.
[천은미 / 이대목동병원 호흡기내과 교수 : 미국 같은 경우도 보시면 변이 바이러스가 전혀 여행 경험이 없는 사람들한테 이미 나오고 있고 영국의 확산세를 보시면 우리가 생각하는 것보다 훨씬 전파력이 높다는 걸 알 수 있습니다.]
In the end, the fight against the mutant virus appears to be a key challenge in the new year’s quarantine.
This is Han-Seok Ko from YTN.
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