BLUF:[American Thinker] Everyone is still working and schools are in session. How did they do this?
I have been in and out of South Korea several times over the last number of years, and I do have a contact friend there who openly said the following without any fear, "This is not a deadly virus. Even though everyone is saying that, that’s because they aren’t able to get a handle on it."
So how is it that the South Koreans got a handle on this virus without stopping the economy or shutting down the country? South Korea has a crowded population of some 52 million people crammed into a geographical location about the size of Indiana, a perfect situation for a pandemic to spread ‐ but it didn't. And yes, when I flew in and out of Korea, it was also very apparent they took communicable diseases seriously, particularly at airports. Health is a very much part of their daily routine.
My contact friend went on to point out, "Yes, I feel very blessed to be living here in South Korea during this time. There are several factors, I think, that have made South Korea so successful in how they’ve handled it. They started screening for fevers, wearing masks, putting out hand sanitizer everywhere, and just trying to make the public aware of what was happening. They were also very proactive, in testing and separating anyone who tested positive for the virus, whether they were showing symptoms or not. Because as you are correct, the majority of the cases are quite mild. It’s just very contagious. So South Korea ended up turning some factory warehouses and training areas into large quarantine centers for anyone who had mild symptoms or no symptoms, but still tested positive for the virus. That saved our hospitals only for the small percentage that were actually seriously sick."
Those who tested negative for the virus went back to school and work. Those who tested positive for the virus with little or mild symptoms were quarantined. This allowed them to devote their energies to those who succumbed to the virus with much more serious conditions at hospitals with far less chaos. The other very important practice they did was to quarantine the elderly to stay at home to keep them from getting it in the first place. This, too, prevented hospitals from being flooded with such cases that also drive up the fatality rate quickly. In this way, they had enough beds and hospital equipment to be able to help those whose symptoms developed into something far more serious. Since this virus has a pretty big kick to it in certain people, you have to facilitate scenarios that help hospitals handle better those who succumb to it.
Emphasis added.