<p class="p1"><span class="s1">South Korea appears to be ‘flattening the curve’ after experiencing one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks outside of China. Authorities on Monday reported 74 new cases, compared to more than 900 a few weeks ago.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Detecting patients at an early stage is very important and we learned the simple lessons by dealing with this virus that this is very contagious &#8211; and once it starts, it spreads very quickly and in very wide areas,” says South Korean Health Minister Park Neunghoo. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img class="wp-image-12289 aligncenter" src="https://punchingbagpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Screen-Shot-2020-03-16-at-8.42.12-PM-300x275.png" alt="" width="256" height="235" /></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Raising the testing capability is very important because that w</span><span class="s1">ay, you can detect someone who’s carrying the virus, then you can contain the virus.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">South Korea was quick to implement widespread testing, including a drive-thru testing area. So far, the nation has administered more than 200,000 tests. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Authorities posted messages about social distanci</span><span class="s1">n</span><span class="s1">g, working from home, and other strategies in as many places as possible &#8211; on the street, in public transportation, and in th</span><span class="s1">e media. </span><span class="s1">Authorities also banned large gatherings, closed schools and daycare facilities, and canceled major sporting events. Public spaces in Seoul were closed in mid-February, when the nation had just 150 confirm</span><span class="s1">ed cases.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“City Hall asked people on February 20th, when the outbreak had barely been discovered, to only leave their places when absolutely necessary,” says Kim, a resident of Daegu. “</span><span class="s1">That’s what a majority of citizens have kept doing and continue to do for almost a month now.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">South Korea has also demonstrated incredible transparency, using a national mobile phone alert system to let residents know when and where a new case pops up. Individuals who recently traveled to high-risk areas are required to answer daily questions about their health. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>To date, South Korea has reported a total of 8,236 cases and 75 deaths. The nation’s testing rate is roughly 3,692 tests per million people. Its mortality rate is about 0.6%. </b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Compare this to Italy, which imposed quarantine measures too late. Italy is testing roughly 826 people per million and has a mortality rate about 10x higher than South Korea. To date, Italy has reported 27,980 cases and 2,158 deaths. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Another factor in the difference between South Korea and Italy is age. Nearly 30% of Italy’s population is over age 60; less than 19% of South Korea’s population is over age 60.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">And then we have the United States, which is refusing to test most patients for the virus and has been slow to close facilities and businesses. </span><span class="s1">The US has reported 4,667 cases and 87 deaths.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">President Trump held a briefing about the virus Monday, urging Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people, not to go to bars or restaurants, and to close all schools. </span><span class="s1">He also indicated that he was open to suggestions for a bill currently in Congress that seeks to</span><span class="s1"> provide paid sick leave for employees of small businesses and added that it is up to each state to decide whether to postpone its primary election. </span></p>