Omicron spreading fast in South Korea

Dec 07, 2021, 08:43 am

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People wait in a line to get tested for COVID-19 in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Dec. 6, 2021./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Lee Sun-young

The new omicron coronavirus variant is spreading nationwide. The serial infection of the new variant continues as even a case of quaternary transmission related to a church in Incheon district of Michuhol, where a pastor and his wife were confirmed last week as the first cases of omicron in South Korea, has been confirmed.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Monday that the number of confirmed omicron cases increased to 24 – eighteen were domestic cases and six involved international travelers. There are 10 epidemiologically-related confirmed cases, and genome testing is underway for them.

While the number of cases related to the church in Michuhol is increasing, two more cases of the omicron variant have been confirmed during the quarantine stage for overseas arrivals.

They are colleagues in their 60s and 50s, who arrived in South Korea on Dec. 1 after travelling to South Africa. Their infections with omicron have been confirmed on Dec. 2 while staying in a temporary quarantine facility since Dec. 1.

“So far, nearly 600 people have been in close contact with infected patients, some 400 are airplane passengers of the three flights, and 369 people are churchgoers subject to preemptive testing,” said Lee Sang-won, the head of the KDCA’s epidemiological investigations team. “The quaternary transmission related to the Incheon church has been confirmed,” Lee said.

The government classifies the suspected cases of omicron infection into three groups, and the largest group involves the Incheon church, whose members reside not only in the greater capital area, but also in the non-metropolitan area, such as North Chungcheong Province, posing a high risk of infection in other regions.

Three foreign students from Seoul National University (SNU), Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) and Kyunghee University, who were found to have visited the church, were also confirmed with the virus. A foreign woman in her 70s living in North Chungcheong Province, and a middle school student in Ansan were also confirmed. This is the first time that the omicron, which spread around Incheon, has spread to non-metropolitan areas.

“Omicron has already spread nationwide, but it has not been confirmed yet,” said Chon Eun-mi, a professor of respiratory medicine at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital.

“The problem is that the omicron variant is five times as transmissible as the delta variant,” Chon said. “Many say omicron patients have mild symptoms with no severe disease, however we have to see how the situation goes because there are few cases of infection among elderly people.”

Meanwhile, the country reported 4,325 new cases Monday. The number of critically ill patients stood at 727, while the death toll rose by 41 to 3,893.

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