One reason South Korea has managed to check the spread of the new coronavirus and bring down its infection rate has been an efficient testing network that allowed it to quickly isolate those infected
By Dasl Yoon and Timothy W. Martin | Photographs by Jean Chung for The Wall Street Journal March 19, 2020 5:37 am ET SEOUL—Lee Hyuk-min sets his alarm at 4:45 a.m. He rolls out of bed, sits down at his home office desk within minutes and then begins his day’s work: analyzing a chart of novel coronavirus test data, separating the positives from the negatives.
Dr. Lee, and others like him, represent the final checkpoint in this system, a coordinated diagnostics operation that knits together 633 test sites and more than 100 laboratories nationwide. It is a uniform setup: The labs use the same testing equipment, do the same training and make decisions based on the same information.
Afterward, South Korea overhauled its emergency response system. It gave large private hospitals—which played a small role in testing during the MERS outbreak—approval to assist with diagnostic testing, demanded hospitals train extra staff to operate the machinery and established separate laboratory-medicine departments.
“There’s no point in just having a lot of testing kits,” said Dr. Lee, noting Myongji has two testing machines running all day. “You also need the manpower and the laboratories.” “The demand is outstripping our ability to perform those tests in a timely fashion,” said Benjamin Pinsky, medical director at the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory, which has created its own diagnostic test.
South Korea didn’t set such requirements for test manufacturers. The country, with 8,565 confirmed cases as of Thursday, now ranks eighth globally, having been surpassed by the U.S. and France in the past day.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Inside the Queen's home at Buckingham Palace as it undergoes renovations'As reservicing works continue at Buckingham Palace, thousands of Royal collection items are being removed from The East Wing to allow for essential renovations next spring.'
Baca lebih lajut »
Vanessa Hudgens Responds to Backlash Over Coronavirus Death Comments: 'Stay Inside, Y'All''This has been a huge wake up call about the significance my words have, now more than ever.' Vanessa Hudgens took to Instagram Stories to apologize for her recent 'insensitive' comments on the coronavirus pandemic
Baca lebih lajut »
Kim Kardashian Implores People to 'Stay Inside to Stop the Spread of' Coronavirus'Sending everyone lots of love and keeping everyone in my family's prayers,' the reality star wrote on Instagram
Baca lebih lajut »
Go Inside Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus' $8 Million Hollywood MansionDiane Kruger and Norman Reedus splash $8.5 million in cash on large mansion situated on the hillsides of Hollywood
Baca lebih lajut »
Inside Vicky Pattison's home with new beau Ercan RamadanFormer party girl Vicky has been making a few updates her lavish new London penthouse apartment
Baca lebih lajut »