Joon-Wook Kwon, Head of Central Defense Countermeasures Division (National Institute of Health Research). yunhap news
“I will tell you a word.”
Kwon Joon-wook, head of the 2nd vice president of the Central Defense Response Headquarters, took luck with these words at a regular briefing on the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) on the afternoon of the 23rd. “With 100 million corona19 confirmed patients around the world in front of their eyes, the domestic situation as a whole is maintaining a decreasing trend,” he said.
“May return to the nightmare situation in December”
On the 11th, foreign immigrants from Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 are entering the arrival hall. News 1
However, it is still too early to be reassured, Vice President Kwon explained. He cited the mutant virus as a big variable in the prevention of COVID-19. “There are announcements that as various mutations are discovered one after another in various parts of the world, the propagation speed increases and the severity increases.”
Deputy General Manager Kwon cited the Corona 19 Infectious Disease Reproduction Index as an example. He said, “The infectious disease reproductive index of Corona 19 in Korea is about 0.82, but if the UK-borne mutant virus spreads widely in Korea, this number will rise to 1.2. This may return to a nightmare in mid-December last year. Talk.” The infectious disease reproduction index is a number that shows how many people around one confirmed person infect. If this index is less than 1, it means’trend suppression’, and if it is more than 1, it means’trend spread’.
Deputy General Manager Kwon said, “According to today’s announcement by the British government, the fatality rate could be higher, which is a very scary situation. In the worst case, there is a possibility that there is a problem with the effect.” There are three mutant viruses that have been identified in Korea so far from the UK, South Africa and Brazil. The number of related infections was 18, including 15 from the UK, 2 from South Africa and 1 from Brazil.
“Vigilant for hidden infections”
Number of inspectors and new cases per day. Graphic = Reporter Kim Young-ok [email protected]
In addition, deputy head of Kwon also pointed out that the caution against the’third pandemic’ of Corona 19, which is showing a recent decline, should not be released. Although the trend of the occurrence of confirmed cases is decreasing, the number of confirmed cases itself is not small.
Deputy General Manager Kwon said, “Recently, the number of confirmed cases per day is in the range of 300 to 400, but considering that the number of patients that reached the peak at the time of the second epidemic was about 400, the current situation should be viewed as a little less than the peak of the second epidemic.” Said. He added, “There are still many quiet transmissions and hidden infections in the community.” He added, “Please refrain from all meetings and appointments this weekend so that the third epidemic is more stable.”
Reporter Chae Hye-seon [email protected]