S. Korea reports 28th confirmed case of novel coronavirus

Feb 12, 2020, 09:07 am

By AsiaToday reporter Joo Sung-sik

South Korea on Tuesday confirmed its 28th case of novel coronavirus infection. The latest patient is a 30 year-old Chinese woman who came into contact with the country’s third confirmed patient and has been in self-quarantine since January 26. She tested positive for the virus on Monday.

The quarantine headquarters of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the 28th confirmed patient has been put in isolation in a state-designated hospital.

The patient is an acquaintance of the third confirmed patient. She tested positive while being self-quarantined and was transferred to the Myongji Hospital in Ilsan, Goyang, northwest of Seoul. As a result, the number of confirmed novel coronavirus infections in the country has risen to 28.

According to quarantine authorities, the patient has not shown almost no symptoms, such as fever. She was taking painkillers prescribed due to other treatments before being in self-quarantine, and there were limited ways to identify her symptoms. The quarantine authorities conducted a test on the patient on Feb. 8 right before the 14-day incubation period expired, and the level of the novel coronavirus detected in her system was near the borderline between positive and negative results.

While the number of confirmed cases is rising, the number of fully recovered cases is also rising. Out of the 28 confirmed cases in the country, four patients have fully recovered and have been discharged from hospital. It appears that another fully recovered patient may be discharged as early as tomorrow.

“We are currently identifying those who can be released from quarantine,” said Kwak Jin, a deputy director of the KCDC’s infectious disease control bureau.

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