Korean national causes coronavirus scare in Soroti

Soroti District leaders have placed a Korean national under quarantine following concerns that he could have acquired coronavirus.
Mr Kim Dunkuk, the director of King’s Kids Nursery and Primary School, was quarantined at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital on Wednesday after staff and pupils reportedly run out of school on seeing him with a protective mask.
Mr Dunkuk was said to have been returning from holiday in his home country where 7,869 cases of coronavirus have been reported.

“There was uproar and fear after reports that the Korean national sneaked into the country and was interacting with the public in church gatherings while wearing a protective mask,” Mr William Wilberforce Tukei, the Soroti RDC, said.
“This caused panic in the neighbouring communities and they called for our intervention,” he added.

A source at the school, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, said most staff and pupils could not get closer to their director for fear of contracting the deadly disease.
“Coronavirus is a crucial matter that’s why some of us fled the school because we didn’t know what could have happened to him in the course of his visit to his country,” the source said.

Dr Michael Mwanga, the director of Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, said an emergency medical team is handling the situation.
He added that they have sensitised the school authorities on how coronavirus spreads.
Dr Stephen Pande, a consultant in-charge of preventive interventions at the hospital, said the Korean national did not present any signs and symptoms of coronavirus.
“We did simple medical examinations on the suspect and by the time we screened him, there were no signs and symptoms of coronavirus. But we advised him to do self-quarantine for 14 days, pending medical investigations,” Dr Pande said.

“He is a low risk case but we have also told him to report any signs of cough, flu, headache and fever to us for easy management,” he added.
The head teacher of King’s Kids Nursery and Primary School, Mr James Odeke, said their director was adhering to the rules and regulations, the reason he had a mask.
Scores of countries have imposed bans or restrictions on arrivals from the South, leading to demand for flights collapsing.

Cases in Korea
South Korea was the first country to report significant coronavirus numbers outside China, where the disease first emerged, and remains one of the world’s worst-affected countries despite being overtaken by both Italy and Iran in declared cases.
A total of 114 infections were confirmed on Wednesday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, taking the South’s total to 7,869.

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