Corona: New infections in South Korea are increasing again – that could be the reasons

Updated May 27, 2020, 4:36 p.m.

Among other things, South Korea is seen as a role model in the fight against corona in this country. After the new infections had been at a consistently very low level for a long time, the country is again increasing.

More current information about the corona virus can be found here

When the corona virus spread around the world earlier this year, many looked after it with admiration and hope South Korea: Mass tests and a quick isolation of sick people paired with rigorous social-distancing rules had achieved that the number of new infections flattened out very quickly.

On March 1, the corona crisis in South Korea peaked with 1,062 confirmed cases in one day, after which the numbers fell. For example, on April 29, there were just four new cases.

But while the number of cases is still at a comparatively low level, nervousness is slowly coming back. Because on May 26, South Korea recorded the largest increase in new infections in almost 50 days with 40 new cases.

Also read: All developments related to the corona virus in our live blog

Most cases are in Seoul

36 of the new cases were confirmed in densely populated Seoul. It is believed that clubs and karaoke bars in particular are accelerating the spread of the virus again.

Had in early May an infected man in several clubs and bars celebrated with thousands of guests. Cluster infection occurred: almost 200 cases of infection were linked to the outbreak. The government expects other undiscovered cases.

The virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine is also convinced that clubs, bars or discos act as virus accelerators. Because of the poor ventilation of the rooms and hardly any distance between the visitors find that Corona virus perfect conditions there.

That is the best condition that he can imagine for a respiratory – that is, via respiratory – transmissible pathogen. “So the worst condition for humans. Overall, the situation is simply ideal for being able to become infected there,” says Schmidt-Chanasit.

Homosexual scene does not want to be stigmatized

There is another problem with the authorities in Seoul have to fight. The renewed outbreak of the corona virus can mainly be traced back to the Itaewon district. The clubs concerned are mainly LGBTQ meeting points. But homosexuality is still viewed critically in South Korea.

Many of those affected are therefore afraid of stigmatization and do not want to be tested voluntarily. In some cases, they also seem to have provided incorrect contact information so that they could not be identified. South Korea’s strategy of quickly identifying and isolating the corona herd through mass tests is therefore only partially effective in this case.

Seoul has closed its nightclubs since mid-May. The fear of the second wave is too great, especially since the children are supposed to return to school.

But clubs are not the only factors that accelerate the spread of the virus. Another outbreak in South Korea is related to a logistics center in Bucheon. 36 cases have been confirmed there in the past few days. The center has now been closed and is being completely disinfected.

The South Korean government remains vigilant in any case and shows that it can take tough action if it considers it necessary. A 23-year-old Japanese man was recently arrested for allegedly violating the Infectious Disease Prevention Act.

Sources used:

• dpa
• AFP
• “Reuters.com”: Coronavirus outbreak at South Korea e-commerce warehouse drives spike in new cases
• “tagesschau.de”: Difficult search for party goers
• KBS World Radio: Japanese first arrested for quarantine violation