Asymptomatic carriers may be capable of spreading the novel coronavirus to others on airplanes, a new study published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed. The study, published in the peer-reviewed Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, found that a passenger on an evacuation flight from Milan to Seoul appears to have contracted the disease after sharing the same bathroom as an asymptomatic patient. That passenger, who was seated three rows away from the said patient,

The novel coronavirus infection is relatively unnoticeable in children, leaving them less likely to get diagnosed. And despite their lack of distinct symptoms, children with COVID-19 can shed the virus for as long as over two weeks, a recent study found, highlighting their potential role in spreading the disease silently in the community. The study published Aug. 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association assessed 91 children with COVID-19 in Korea to find that only 8.5 percent of t

Most COVID-19 patients under 50 have recovered without oxygen therapy, according to a study conducted by the National Medical Center’s clinical committee for emerging infectious diseases, supporting findings of previous studies that showed age is associated with worse outcomes. The study, which assessed the clinical outcomes of 3,060 patients who received care at 55 hospitals during the first wave of the epidemic here between Jan. 20 and May 31, found none of the 1,324 patients under 50

Doctors worry about people not going to hospitals over coronavirus fears

Last month, a South Korean COVID-19 survivor underwent a double-lung transplant that ended up saving her life -- a procedure that is the first of its kind in the country and only the ninth worldwide since the outbreak began. Behind her monthslong recovery and the eventual transplant are a squad of doctors and nurses who say coronavirus survival takes team effort. When the 50-year-old woman arrived at the emergency room of the Hallym University Medical Center in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, in la

Summer is in full swing amid an ever deepening pandemic. As the virus is new, figuring out how to navigate the season safely can be daunting. Health experts share their responses to some of the popular queries about the coronavirus in summertime. Will hot temperatures mitigate the spread? Contrary to earlier conjectures, warmer weather does not stop the coronavirus from spreading. Countries with hot weather have reported outbreaks as well. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Korean health authorities said Wednesday that stocks of remdesivir, an experimental antiviral once seen as a potential Ebola therapy, will be supplied to local hospitals for treating COVID-19. In a press release, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the use of remdesivir will be limited to seriously ill patients in need of oxygen therapy. More specifically, patients with chest scans showing signs of pneumonia and oxygen saturation of 94 percent or lower are eligible for th

Months into pandemic, expanding waistlines a health bane for many

‘Fecal sample testing could aid in telling COVID-19 in suspected MIS patients’

When it comes to epidemics, it’s hard to find someone with a bulkier resume. From severe acute respiratory syndrome to swine flu to Middle East respiratory syndrome, he was there at the front lines of each alarming outbreak that has surfaced in recent decades, either advising or spearheading South Korea’s response. Dr. Kim Woo-joo, the nation’s leading expert in infectious diseases, said the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been his “trickiest foe yet.”

Certain markers may help predict a patient’s chance of developing a severe case of novel coronavirus disease at the point of hospital admission, according to a Korean study published last week. This is a first local study identifying risk factors for severe COVID-19 caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The findings were based on observations of 110 confirmed patients hospitalized between Feb. 19 and April 15 at Yeungnam University Medical Center in Daegu -- a city accounting for 57

　South Korea‘s output of medical equipment and related materials passed 7 trillion won ($5.7 billion) in 2019 on solid demand for dental treatment products, data showed. 　About 7.3 trillion won worth of medical equipment and materials were produced in the country last year, up 11.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. 　The sector’s annualized growth rate far outpaced the 2 percent increase in the country’s gross domestic product

  Timeline of reported cases Late April: An unidentified children’s illness reported in Europe May 9: Illness claims three children in New York, US, and one in France May 13: Casualty occurs in the UK; UK, France, US together confirm over 100 cases May 23: Mystery children’s illness spreads to 13 countries (25 states in the US) May 25: Korea launches disease surveillance systems May 26: Korea sees two suspected cases of the rare pediatric condition, both in Seoul　

Health Ministry issues coronavirus guidance for summertime safety

The first suspected cases of a rare inflammatory disease striking children and young adults have been reported in South Korea, health authorities said Tuesday, issuing special warnings as preschools and primary schools are set to resume in-person classes Wednesday. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook said in a Tuesday press briefing that two pediatric patients at health care institutions in Seoul might have the little-known condition, now