전국적으로 요양병원 코로나 감염 비상... 검사 주기 단축 하기로<br /><br />Covid-19 mortalities are conentrated in the 60 and above age group which means those at nursing homes are at particular risk.<br />Cluster infections in South Korea have continuously been popping up but in recent days, nursing homes have emerged as hot spots.<br />Experts say there is a tendency for the virus to spread quickly once it enters these facilities.<br />Kim Do-yeon explains.<br />Amid the third wave of COVID-19 in South Korea, nursing homes across the country are seeing large clusters of infections.<br />This is particularly concerning for the health authorities because the elderly are at much greater risk from the virus.<br />The official daily figures reported on Tuesday show the seriousness of the situation.<br />One facility in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do Province reported 45 new cases, bringing the total confirmed linked cases to 117... while a care home in Ulsan reported 47 cases overnight taking the total there above 200.<br />In addition, a new cluster was discovered on Tuesday from a nursing home in Gimje, Jeollabuk-do Province with 60 cases on the first day of mass screening.<br />Visitors have been banned from nursing homes for some time to prevent the spread of the virus, with only the staff allowed to come and go.<br />But experts say the nature of nursing homes where a number of patients are in one room makes it easy for the virus to spread.<br />And it's tough to identify the initial symptoms among the elderly.<br />"People in nursing homes do not have clear symptoms... they don't get high body temperatures... and diseases such as dementia stop them from expressing themselves... so when a case is spotted, it has already spread around the home."<br />In response to the clusters from nursing homes, the government says it will make frequent screening mandatory for all those related to the facilities... starting with the capital region.<br />"First, for high-risk facilities such as nursing homes, long term care hospitals, and mental hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area, we plan on making the budget for two screenings a week for the next three weeks."<br />Experts add that the availability of intensive care beds will only worsen if clusters from these facilities are not prevented.<br />In addition, the elderly should be considered a priority for vaccination once it starts.<br />Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.<br />
