JaHyun Kang1, Yun Young Jang2, JinHwa Kim3, Si-Hyeon Han4, Ki Rog Lee5, Mukju Kim6, Joong Sik Eom7. 1. College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea; Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA. Electronic address: jahyunkang@gmail.com. 2. Department of Infectious Disease Education and Traning, National Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. 3. Department of Infection Control, Soonchunhyang University, Seoul Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. 4. Department of Infection Control, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. 5. College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea; Emergency Department, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. 6. Department of Infection Control, Daegu Catholic University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea. 7. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Gil Medical Center, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, South Korea.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: South Korea's aggressive responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have greatly slowed the epidemic without regional lockdowns. METHODS: The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's daily briefings were thoroughly reviewed. Information about hospital countermeasures and government coordination was collected via telephone interviews with 4 infection control team leaders, 1 emergency department nurse, and 1 infectious disease physician in Korea. RESULTS: After the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak, the government and hospitals prepared for the inevitable outbreak of emerging infectious diseases by reforming the epidemic preparedness system. As a result, COVID-19 diagnostic test kits were quickly developed, enabling extensive early detection of potential cases. Other key steps were tracking cases, finding exposed individuals, coordinating case assignments with health care facilities, and selective clinic screenings for visitors' entering hospitals with mandatory mask wearing. Consequently, after overcoming the initial peak of the outbreak, which was related to a religious group, Korea has been able to maintain daily new cases at around 100 and to less than 50 daily cases in the second week of April. CONCLUSIONS: To counter the COVID-19 pandemic, which may persist, long-term, sustained response strategies must be prepared along with coordination between government and health systems.
BACKGROUND: South Korea's aggressive responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have greatly slowed the epidemic without regional lockdowns. METHODS: The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's daily briefings were thoroughly reviewed. Information about hospital countermeasures and government coordination was collected via telephone interviews with 4 infection control team leaders, 1 emergency department nurse, and 1 infectious disease physician in Korea. RESULTS: After the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak, the government and hospitals prepared for the inevitable outbreak of emerging infectious diseases by reforming the epidemic preparedness system. As a result, COVID-19 diagnostic test kits were quickly developed, enabling extensive early detection of potential cases. Other key steps were tracking cases, finding exposed individuals, coordinating case assignments with health care facilities, and selective clinic screenings for visitors' entering hospitals with mandatory mask wearing. Consequently, after overcoming the initial peak of the outbreak, which was related to a religious group, Korea has been able to maintain daily new cases at around 100 and to less than 50 daily cases in the second week of April. CONCLUSIONS: To counter the COVID-19 pandemic, which may persist, long-term, sustained response strategies must be prepared along with coordination between government and health systems.
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