A public health expert's opinion came from the United States that the Korean government's focus on PCR testing and self-isolation-dependent quarantine could increase the spread and that "quick testing and quarantine should be performed".
The Washington Post reported on the 15th that a rapid response test that immediately confirms the presence of infection at a time of high infectivity is important for quarantine, and a health expert's contribution to quarantine conversion can be shortened by reducing the period and avoidance of testing by performing a rapid test in self-quarantine on the 15th. .
Harvard University School of Public Health Assistant Professor Joseph Allen (Director of Healthy Buildings Program) said, 'Rapid antigen test should be the top priority instead of PCR test', 'Self-quarantine should be reduced from 10 days to 5 days', and 'Do not quarantine at home of close contacts'. measures were announced.
Professor Allen said, "PCR test is more accurate, but it takes a long time to get results, so it has less quarantine effect than rapid reaction test. "It doesn't make sense to public health to test positive days or weeks after recovering from infection," he said.
Regarding self-quarantine, the professor said, “Isolation is a radical measure taken when people do not know who an active spread of infection is, and it is necessary to decide whether to isolate it through a rapid reaction test.” "Isolation after rapid testing is a better way," he said.
Regarding the shortening of the self-quarantine period to 5 days, the professor said, “The transmission power reaches its peak immediately after the onset of symptoms, and after a day or two, it begins to weaken and rapidly decreases. "The current quarantine guidelines make travel to work and school difficult unnecessarily, making it difficult to avoid being tested," he said.
Regarding public health, the professor said, “The public and companies are right in the idea that public health guidelines are outdated. It is the same,” he pointed out, pointing out the outdated quarantine measures.
As the 'Quarantine Pass' is in operation, the Smart Seoul Map 'Corona 19 Screening Clinic Congestion Status' shows the congestion level of 87 testing stations in Seoul as of 4 o'clock on the 14th ▲ Congestion (90 minutes or more waiting time) 44 locations ▲ Busy (60 minutes or more) 23 locations ▲Normal (within 30 minutes) 12 locations ▲Others (temporary suspension, application deadline, early closing, etc.) 8 locations, and about 76% of all inspection stations in the afternoon showed waiting for more than 60 minutes.
Korea’s K quarantine relied on the company’s PCR diagnostic kits from the beginning, and when the shock of the Omicron mutated virus came out on November 29, diagnostic kit stocks including Seegene all went strong. (16.69%) soared.
On the 30th, President Moon Jae-in said, "We need to develop a diagnostic kit that can detect Omicron mutation as quickly as possible and establish a quarantine strategy to respond to Omicron mutation," the Blue House said on the 30th.
In Korea, PCR test results are reported within 24 hours after the test, but results can be reported within 48 hours.