Gov`t should end MERS outbreak with perfect finalization

With no additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported over the past week, MERS outbreak appears to be entering a phase of decline. According to the central MERS countermeasure headquarters on Sunday, the total number of confirmed MERS cases in Korea has been stabilized at 186, without additional cases of the deadly virus reported. The patient No.14 known as a super-spreader of the virus and the patient No. 137 who was an emergency ward transfer agent from Seoul’s Samsung Medical Center were discharged from a hospital. Schools and kindergartens closed for fear of MERS spread reopened on July 6. Also, Pyeongtaek St. Mary`s Hospital and other hospitals that had been closed are resuming operation one after another. As MERS spread is on the decline, attentions are paid to when the government would officially announce the end of MERS. However, it is too early to let the guard down as the health authorities in Korea found a new MERS case earlier this month when they were discussing whether to announce ending the virus crisis because there had been no additional case reported for four days.

The Korean government’s failed early response to the deadly virus is regarded as the critical factor for spreading of the MERS virus. President Park Geun-hey said on June 5 that there were insufficiencies in the government’s initial responses against MERS and Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo also acknowledged that the response was belated to curb the spread of the MERS virus at the hearing of the special parliamentary committee for MERS countermeasures. Reportedly, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae is to replace the health minister and began a process to validate a nominee for the position. Cheong Wa Dae seems to plan to nominate the incoming health minister after announcing the end of MERS outbreak, but the sooner the health minister is replaced, the better it would be when considering the urgency of the current situation.

Since the first MERS case was confirmed on May 20, Korean society has been paying enormous social and economic costs. As the fear of MERS hit the sluggish domestic market, the Korean economy has suffered a blow centering on tourism and logistics industries. Now with the end of MERS tunnel in sight, group visa applications is back on the rise for foreign tourists including Chinese tourist Youkers, who stopped coming to Korea for a while.

While having discussions with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Korean government is coordinating the criteria and schedule to announce the ending of MERS outbreak. If the current trend continues, some forecast that the ending of the outbreak can be announced in early August. However, if a new MERS case is confirmed while the government is rushing to end the battle against the MERS virus, it can generate bigger side effects such as distrust of the public and deterioration of Korea’s reputation in the international community. It seems that the MERS outbreak in Korea has abated, but it is all the more important to finalize it. Even though the government got off to a wrong foot in initial responses against the MERS virus, it must be perfect when putting out embers of the outbreak.