South Korean health officials on Friday said 91 patients tested positive for new coronavirus infection after earlier being cleared of covid-19. However, it remains unclear what is behind the trend, with epidemiological investigations still under way.
According to Reuters, nearly 7,000 South Koreans have been reported as recovered from covid-19 pandemic. Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said that the virus may have been “reactivated” rather than the patients being re-infected.
Experts believe that those who have been infected with coronavirus and tested nagative are still at risk of being being re-infected.
Recovered coronavirus patients testing positive again is of great concern to countries that hope infected populations will develop sufficient immunity to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19.
“There are different interpretations and many variables,” said Jung Ki-suck, professor of pulmonary medicine at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital. “The government needs to come up with responses for each of these variables”.
Seperately, South Korea on Saturday said people who defy quarantine instructions will be ordered to wear tracking wristbands. The government has also asked Christians to stay home on Easter weekend.
Officials told Reuters that some of the 57,000 people who are under orders to stay home have slipped out by leaving behind smartphones with tracking apps.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday had a telephone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The leaders discussed ways to tackle the pandemic through cooperation and leveraging the power of technology. They agreed that their experts would continue to consult each other and share experiences, as they research solutions for COVID-19. Modi expressed appreciation to the South Korean government for facilitating supplies and transport of medical equipment being sourced by Indian companies, an official statement said.
Meanwhile, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Wednesday that Seoul will temporarily halt visa-free entry with countries imposing entry bans on South Korean nationals over the coronavirus outbreak.