#201, Turnabout
When PEAI shut down one month ago, South Korea had recorded the second most cases of COVID-19 in the world. That number stood at 833. From there, the number of positive cases started to rise exponentially because of a "super spreader" who started a cluster of infections at a church in Daegu. Infected individuals were out in the wild—its spread across the country seemed inevitable.
In response, several countries imposed strict quarantine measures and others outright barred entry to anyone who had traveled to Korea. The Israeli government went so far as to turn away a Korean Air flight that had already landed and send it straight back to Incheon. Anti-Korean sentiment was bubbling forth everywhere.
It was all falling apart.
But then it didn't.
On March 1, the number of daily new cases peaked at 1,062 and from there, the number of new cases dropped steadily. This drop continued and today is the fifth straight day that the number of infections has been just around 100. Many of those cases are imported from other countries.
Daily New Cases in South Korea
South Korea had managed a miraculous turnabout. In a press conference in Geneva, WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus noted,
We see encouraging signs from the Republic of Korea. The number of newly-reported cases appears to be declining, and the cases that are being reported are being identified primarily from known clusters…This epidemic can be pushed back, but only with a collective, coordinated and comprehensive approach that engages the entire machinery of government."
South Korea went from being at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic to a model for the rest of the world.
To complete the Journal response, address the following:
You all lived through this remarkable turnabout. Why do you think Korea was able to fight off the coronavirus when so many other countries have failed?
Comment on a peer’s response.
-Brenden Lee Teacher