Golden time to contain the coronavirus is two weeks

Experts say that the golden time to contain COVID-19 in South Korea is two weeks. According to health authorities and medical organizations on Sunday, the virus has an incubation period of three to five days. It develops into pneumonia two or tree days after the incubation period. Treatment takes some two weeks if it is found at an early stage. That means the current patients will recover in two weeks, which would allow us to prevent the spread from patients in an incubation period who are becoming hidden sources of infection.

Experts point out that citizens should stay home and minimize social contacts for the next two weeks to stop the virus. Doing so would slow down the spread of the virus. They say new semesters in primary and secondary schools should be further delayed if necessary. “All citizens staying home like on rainy or snowy days would be greatly helpful in slowing down the sharp rise in the number of patients.”

Based on advices of the Korean Medical Association, the Korean Hospital Association, the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine, the Korean Society of Disaster Medicine and the Korea alliance of patients organization, The Dong-A Ilbo has prepared information to remember and a code of conduct for the next two weeks. The key is to stay home as much as possible and observe individual hygiene principles. Citizens are advised to keep household medicine and a list of hospitals, which they can consult with over the phone for emergency situations.

They are also advised to wear a face mask if they have to go out and minimize contacts with others. If a lot of people have to gather in one place for occasions such as meetings, the seats should be laid in zigzags to avoid sitting front to front and reduce the possibility of infection. Businesses should actively adopt telecommuting and video conferences so that citizens can stay home as much as possible.

“We must protect the medical system by observing the code of conduct for two weeks and make the virus controllable,” said Heo Tak, the head of the Korean Society of Disaster Medicine.


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