Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals and humans. In humans these coronaviruses cause respiratory infections which starts from cold to more severe disease like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronaviruses cause coronavirus disease COVID-19. People can catch COVID-19 from others who are already infected. This disease spread from one person to others through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person withCOVID-19 coughs out or exhales droplets. That is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter away from a person who is sick.
The first confirmed case of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 in South Korea was announced on 20 January 2019. On 19th February, the confirmed cases increased by 20 and on 20 February by 58 or 70, giving a total of 346 confirmed cases on 21 February 2020. As of 25 February, Daegu (the worst hit area) officials were aggressively warning residents to take precautions, while allowing private businesses such as restaurants to stay open. As a precautionary measure many restaurants check the temperature of their customers before allowing entry to them. Offices, hotels, and other large buildings use thermal image cameras in order to identify people with fevers. All Daegu’s public libraries, museums, churches, day care centers and courts has been closed.
South Korean officials on April 10, 2020 on Friday reported 91 patients were cured of corona virus has tested positive again. A question is being raised over the health experts. Many countries were hoping that the infected population will develop enough immunity to prevent from getting re-affected. The outcome of the reports and research has also prompted fears the virus may remain active in the patients for a longer period of time than was previously thought. The topic of people getting re-infected of the pandemic virus is of international concern. Health expert’s report on Friday tells that patients thought to have been cleared of the virus has tested positive again, up from 51 people on Monday.
The Korea Centers for Disease control and Prevention (KCDC) announced that it had sent a team to the city of Daegu, the worst affected infected area, to investigate why patients there were testing positive again. Some of the paitents testing positive again showed no symptoms while others were suffering from high fever and respiratory issues. Some Korean health officials said it remains mysterious what is behind population getting re-infected. With the preliminary findings and searching from the investigation in Daegu not expected to be released until next week. However the Korea Center of Disease Control and Prevention director, Jeong Eunkyeong, raised the possibility that the virus may have been reactivated in people rather than the patients being re-infected. This means that the virus is not permanently killed from the person got infected earlier and to save the people from getting re-affected the virus should be permanently killed.
The reason behind getting re-infected can also be due to false report, false result could be also at fault. Other experts said, or remnants of the virus could still be in patients systems without be infectious or posing a risk of danger to the host or others. “The number will only increase, 91 is simply the start now”, said Kim Woo-joo, professor of communicable disease at Korea University Guro Hospital. The agency said patients who had been diagnosed with an epidemic almost like COVID-19 are unlikely to be re-infected shortly after the recovery but it’s not yet know whether similar immune protection are going to be observed for patients with COVID-19.
Globally quite 1.65 million cases of the coronavirus are reported and quite 100,375 people have died. Nearly 368,670 people have been diagnosed with the virus and have since recobered.
