By AGGREY MUTAMBOMore by this Author
Authorities in South Korea have rued the missed chance they had in arresting the surge of coronavirus cases in their country, when they let a suspected patient walk back to her community.
By Tuesday this week, South Koreas Centres for Disease Control had reported 8,320 cases of Covid-19, 81 deaths and 1,401 fully recovered patients.
Though Seoul reported its first case of Covid-19 on January 20, officials say it shouldnt have spread this way.
It all began on February 18, when a woman only identified as Patient 31 checked into a South Korean hospital displaying symptoms associated with the new coronavirus. But the woman reportedly refused to take a Covid-19 test even after her doctor advised it.
It turned out she was a member of the Shincheonji, Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (SCJ), a highly secretive sect in South Korea and which the Korean CDC says two thirds of the Covid-19 cases in the country are associated with.The woman, 61, came from Daegu, a city in South Korea with about 2.5 million people, where the church has a significant following.
South Korean officials say the woman initially refused to take the test as she feared it could lead to her revealing her church members. She also insisted that she had not travelled overseas and had not contacted an infected person. The woman would later be forced back to the hospital after her condition became worse. But she had infected many more of her church members.The Church, began in 1984 by leader Lee Man-hee, who is seen as the only interpreter of the Book of Revelations, follows some secretive practices including keeping their membership to themselves. The Korean CDC, however, found the church had a branch in Wuhan in China, where the virus was first reported, and some members had travelled from there recently.
Inside South Korea, their members prayed close to each other, operated in secrecy, and accessed the church using a finger-print reading system. And as each member placed a finger on the same surface, it is possible the virus spread among members, before spreading to nearby communities. All this time, Korean authorities were legally barred from interfering with freedom of worship. Three days after Patient 31 showed up in hospital, South Koreas cases reached 346, becoming the biggest incidences reported outside China then.Korean officials last week reported more recoveries than infections. The country largely depended on lessons learnt from the missed opportunity, according to a report by the local CDC.The Churchs officials put out a statement denying they hindered preventive measures.
Controlling and preventing infectious diseases is a serious matter which is directly related to the health of people and may cause social anxiety from concerns of infection. The church is assisting in thorough investigation and diagnosis following the instructions of the health department, the Church says on a statement on its website.Whether their practices hindered prevention or not, reflects how deep religious beliefs and misinformation about medical facts may hinder combating the virus.
In east Africa, where coronavirus cases have risen, experts warned misinformation or dangerous beliefs could be just as harmful.
In Kenya, for example, authorities have in the past used force to implement some medical programmes like polio immunisation, especially in communities that follow stringent religious beliefs against medication. Others choose to believe their deities rather than advice from medical experts.
It appears to be in our nature to consistently appeal to supernatural forces whenever faced with a serious threat instead of taking practical measures to deal with emergent threats, Sunday Nation columnist Lukoye Atwoli, an associate professor of psychiatry at Moi University School of Medicine, said in his column.When it comes to public health, it is important to understand the science behind a problem in order to be able to control it.
In Korea, authorities began a programme where motorists can drive through a centre, give samples and be contacted later in case they test positive. That has helped reduce the rates of infections.
An analysis by the Poynter Institute last week found a series of misinformation concerning religion and races, where false purveyors claimed some religions can be good shields against Covid-19.
Religion is not a way to protect yourself against the new disease, the Institute observed.
These beliefs can keep infected people away from real treatment, and those who are at risk of contamination far from preventative measures, promoting real harm.Last year, the World Health Organisation had to appeal to Facebook to flag false information about vaccines, after the global health body was met with rising advocates against immunisation.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, Vaccine misinformation is a major threat to global health that could reverse decades of progress made in tackling preventable diseases.
Many debilitating and deadly diseases can be effectively prevented by vaccines. Think measles, diphtheria, hepatitis, polio, cholera, yellow fever, influenzaCovid-19 doesnt have a vaccine yet, but Dr Tedros admitted recently that misinformation about the virus was still a challenge.
In East Africa though, officials have also been pushed to advise against cash to prevent potential spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Someone like a tout who collects cash all the time should put on disposable gloves, said Dr Diana Atwine, Ugandas Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, in a series of public awareness tweets on Monday.
Money has been proven to be a great source of infections, she said.
In Nairobi, President Uhuru Kenyatta called on vendors to facilitated use of non-cash payments. But all the East African countries use public transport systems where service providers largely accept cash payments.
See the rest here:
Lessons from South Korea on Covid-19 preventive measures - The East African
- Utilizing your free, preventative healthcare coverage - KELOLAND.com - February 18th, 2024
- Preventive Pros: the Podcast - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences - University of Southern California - February 18th, 2024
- Heart health awareness and preventative care with Jen Lewis on Coast Live - News 3 WTKR Norfolk - February 18th, 2024
- Heart disease risk factors in women highlight need for increased awareness, prevention - American Heart Association - February 18th, 2024
- Preventive health care benefits | Opinion | thecabin.net - Log Cabin Democrat - February 18th, 2024
- Menopause and migraines: New findings point to power of prevention - Medical Xpress - February 18th, 2024
- How Young Is Too Young For Preventative Skincare? Here's What Experts Want You To Know - Health.com - February 18th, 2024
- Potential prevention of rheumatoid arthritis with injection? Clinical study brings hope for millions - WION - February 18th, 2024
- Heart disease risk factors in women highlight need for increased awareness, prevention - Medical Xpress - February 18th, 2024
- Stay on top of your fur baby's health: the importance of scheduling routine vet visits - FoxReno.com - May 17th, 2023
- Preventive healthcare - May 9th, 2023
- What Is Preventive Health and Why Is It Important? - May 9th, 2023
- What Is Preventive Medicine & Why Do We Need It? | AUC - February 16th, 2023
- Preventive Medicine | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier - December 3rd, 2022
- Migraine - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic - December 3rd, 2022
- Functional Medicine of Idaho | Preventative Root Cause Medicine - December 3rd, 2022
- These 2 Staten Island nurses believe IV hydration drips and vitamin shots are key to long-term health - SILive.com - December 3rd, 2022
- CNBCTV-18 and IIM-K's India@2047 Leadership Series: Challenges and opportunities in the fintech and healthcare sectors - Forbes India - December 3rd, 2022
- As N.W.T. mulls health coverage changes, petition calls for preventative HIV drug to be free - CBC.ca - September 20th, 2022
- EU regulator backs wider use of AstraZeneca COVID therapy - Reuters - September 20th, 2022
- Choose integrative medicine for health and wellness - Technique - September 20th, 2022
- The high hospital bills we make victims of rape and sexual violence pay - Vox.com - September 20th, 2022
- 4 Anti-Aging Products Youre Using All Wrong, According To Skincare Experts - SheFinds - September 20th, 2022
- Why Now is the Time to Double Down on Virtual Care - HIT Consultant - September 20th, 2022
- Tell Giselle: The price of good help is priceless - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader - September 20th, 2022
- Heron Therapeutics Announces U.S. FDA Approval of APONVIE (HTX-019) for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) - BioSpace - September 20th, 2022
- Pickleball injuries are on the rise: 5 preventive tips to keep you on the court - The Manual - September 20th, 2022
- The next big social movement and other takeaways from our regular meeting - POLITICO - September 20th, 2022
- 15 Mushrooms and How to Use Them in Vegan Cooking - VegNews - September 20th, 2022
- Use of honey in the management of Chemotherapy | CMAR - Dove Medical Press - September 20th, 2022
- Celebrity Strategy Consultant Predicts What Will Be The Most Impactful Area In The Pharmaceutical Industry - Forbes - September 20th, 2022
- C2C Care Course The Preservation of Our Global Photographic Heritage: Here, There and Everywhere - aam-us.org - August 3rd, 2022
- Loneliness: Causes, Effects And Prevention Forbes Health - Forbes - August 3rd, 2022
- Prevention and wellness is the new model, a leader from Henry Ford Health System says - Becker's Hospital Review - August 3rd, 2022
- FACT SHEET: White House Summit on Building Lasting Eviction Prevention Reform - The White House - August 3rd, 2022
- Getting Back to Employer Health and Wellness Programs - Cone Health - August 3rd, 2022
- Do ICDs Still Work in Primary Prevention Given Today's HF Meds? - Medscape - August 3rd, 2022
- Alzheimer's-defying brain offers clues to treatment, prevention - Harvard Gazette - August 3rd, 2022
- Wind-fanned lightning fire prompted precautionary evacuation notices near Medical Springs Sunday evening - Baker City Herald - August 3rd, 2022
- Experts discuss importance of cancer screenings and early detection - Merck - August 3rd, 2022
- King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research to test samples for monkeypox - The Hindu - August 3rd, 2022
- Consolidated guidelines on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations - World - ReliefWeb - August 3rd, 2022
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta: While monkeypox cases rise, why are we waiting for the cavalry to rescue us? - CNN - August 3rd, 2022
- SCYNEXIS Announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration - GlobeNewswire - August 3rd, 2022
- Governor Whitmer declares August 2022 as Breastfeeding Month, highlights additional breastfeeding observances - Michigan (.gov) - August 3rd, 2022
- New student education program supports drug and alcohol abuse prevention - The Ohio State University News - July 25th, 2022
- Suicide prevention training for health care providers a first step in longer-term efficacy - University of Washington - July 25th, 2022
- Pharmalittle: Congress may miss deadline to pass FDA user-fee bill; ViiV is urged to lower price for its HIV prevention drug - STAT - July 25th, 2022
- Prevention of Bipolar Disorder Episodes: Is It Possible? - PsychCentral.com - July 25th, 2022
- GAO Found Gap in Dirty Bomb Prevention - Government Technology - July 25th, 2022
- Florida man in apparent medical distress crashes car through beach crowd before hitting the water - CNN - July 25th, 2022
- Study: Preventive care scarce in LGBTQ+ community - - Medical Marketing and Media - July 25th, 2022
- The rise of preventive insurance purchases in India - ETHealthWorld - July 25th, 2022
- Why Are My Feet Always Cold? Cold Feet Causes and Treatment - Prevention Magazine - July 25th, 2022
- Agency looking to open overdose prevention site in Saint John amid 'poisoned' drug supply - CBC.ca - July 25th, 2022
- UVA Expert Offers Insight on the Use of Dietary Supplements for Cancer Prevention - UVA Today - July 25th, 2022
- Alzheimer's: Targeting key protein in blood may slow progression - Medical News Today - July 25th, 2022
- NPPC, FAS focused on ASF prevention in the Philippines - MEAT+POULTRY - July 25th, 2022
- Implementation of IPT in people living with HIV | RMHP - Dove Medical Press - July 25th, 2022
- NL starts preventive vaccination against monkeypox in Amsterdam, The Hague - NL Times - July 25th, 2022
- Precautionary measures you can take against brain haemorrhage - Times of India - July 25th, 2022
- Acid Reflux and Liver Disease: Signs, Symptoms and Prevention - Healthline - July 25th, 2022
- What to do if you get an allergic reaction: symptoms, causes, and prevention - Fox News - July 25th, 2022
- How one woman took control of her rare disease and achieved her dream - Times of Oman - July 25th, 2022
- Tilman Fertitta donating $50 million to UH medical school, which will be renamed after him - Houston Chronicle - May 20th, 2022
- This new 3D screensaver collection includes a driving tour of global pylons - Rock Paper Shotgun - May 20th, 2022
- Dedication, generosity and compassion that had no limit! - The Sun Chronicle - May 20th, 2022
- Manhattan internist and cardiologist, Dr. William Priester collaborates with Castle Connolly Private Health Partners to create a new concierge medical... - May 20th, 2022
- Tips on avoiding mosquitos this summer - morethanthecurve.com - May 20th, 2022
- Nanomedicine and HIV Therapeutics - AZoNano - May 20th, 2022
- The HIV Vaccine: What We Know, And What We Don't - MadameNoire - May 20th, 2022
- What we know (and don't know) about North Korea's COVID-19 outbreak - WCVB Boston - May 20th, 2022
- Experts warn of health effects from dusty conditions as sandstorm blankets UAE - Al Arabiya English - May 20th, 2022
- Statin therapy: Does the gut microbiome affect outcomes? - Medical News Today - May 20th, 2022
- New Preventative Medicine Facility Wraps Work in NYC - Healthcare Construction and Operations News - November 7th, 2021
- MPD working with faith-based leaders to fight violent crime - FOX13 Memphis - November 7th, 2021
- Cornell grad and lecturer touts benefits of plant-based diet - ithaca.com - November 7th, 2021
- Meet the Cork-born bread activist who has Goldie Hawn buying her loaves - Irish Examiner - November 7th, 2021
- Pfizer says pill cuts risk of severe Covid by 89% - RTE.ie - November 7th, 2021
- The roots of ivermectin mania: How South America incubated a fake-medicine craze that took the US by storm - Yahoo News - November 7th, 2021