South Korea reports 49 new cases of Covid-19

Seoul, June 3

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South Korea has reported 49 new cases of COVID-19, continuing a weekslong resurgence that has alarmed a nation where millions of children have begun returning to school.

The figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday brought national totals to 11,590 cases and 273 deaths.

All but one of the new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where hundreds of infections have been linked to entertainment venues, church gatherings and a massive e-commerce warehouse.

Mayors and governors in the greater capital area have shut thousands of nightclubs, hostess bars, karaoke rooms, churches and wedding halls to slow the spread of the virus.

But despite the spike in transmissions, the government has been pushing ahead with a phased reopening of schools, which began with high-school seniors on May 20.

Class openings were planned Wednesday for nearly 1.8 million children — high school freshmen, middle-school juniors and third — and fourth-grade elementary school kids.

South Korea approves emergency use of remdesivir

South Korea said on Wednesday it has approved the emergency use of Gilead Sciences Inc’s remdesivir to treat COVID-19 after a government panel last week cited positive results for the anti-viral drug in other countries.

Remdesivir, which is administered intravenously in hospital, is the first drug to show improvement in COVID-19 patients in formal clinical trials.

“Remdesivir can help reduce the amount of coronavirus in the body,” South Korea’s Ministry for Food and Drug Safety said in a statement. “This can help the patient’s condition improve faster.”

On Monday, Gilead reported the drug provided a modest benefit in patients with moderate COVID-19 given a five-day course of the treatment, while those who received the medicine for 10 days in the study did not fare as well.

The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) last month, citing results from a US government study that showed the drug reduced hospitalisation stays by 31%, or about four days, compared to a placebo.

Japanese health authorities have also approved use of the drug.

Under guidelines announced by South Korea’s Ministry for Food and Drug Safety, doctors can administer one dose of remdesivir a day, with 5 doses overall for patients with moderate symptoms, and 10 doses for patients with severe symptoms and who need oxygen support.

The ministry said it will cooperate with Gilead, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other ministries to swiftly import the drug.

All patients must undergo a liver function test before taking the drug as possible side effects include elevated levels of liver enzymes, the ministry added.

China reports five new coronavirus cases

Beijing/Wuhan: China has reported five new coronavirus cases, including four asymptomatic ones while Wuhan, the epicentre of the COVID-19, has not registered any infection, health officials said on Wednesday.

According to the China’s National Health Commission (NHC), one imported coronavirus case and four asymptomatic cases were reported on Tuesday. It did not specify where the asymptomatic cases were registered.

The NHC on Wednesday said 357 asymptomatic cases, including 276 from Wuhan are still under medical observation.

It said, statistics after a latest review and revision showed that as of Tuesday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland have reached 83,021, including 73 patients who were still being treated, and 78,314 people who have been discharged after recovery.

Altogether 4,634 people have died of the disease in the country. — Agencies