Coronavirus in South Korea

Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions

Alert - Level 2, Sustained Community Transmission
Special Precautions for High-Risk Travelers

Key Points

• South Korea is experiencing sustained community transmission of respiratory illness (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus.
  
  
• The virus can spread from person to person.
  
  
• Older adults and those with chronic medical conditions should consider postponing nonessential travel.
  
  
• Travelers should avoid contact with sick people and clean their hands often by washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60%–95% alcohol.

What is the current situation?

A new coronavirus that recently emerged in China has been detected in a number of other locations around the world. Many cases of COVID-19 have been associated with travel to or from mainland China or close contact with a travel-related case, but sustained community spread has been reported in South Korea. Sustained community spread means that people have been infected with the virus, but how or where they became infected is not known, and the spread is ongoing.

Illness with this virus has ranged from mild to severe. Signs and symptoms of infection include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Sore throat and diarrhea have also been reported in some patients. This new coronavirus has caused severe disease and death in patients who developed pneumonia. Risk factors for severe illness are not yet clear, although older adults and those with chronic medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe illness.

What can travelers do to protect themselves and others?

Because older adults and those with chronic medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe disease, people in these groups should discuss travel with a healthcare provider and consider postponing nonessential travel.

If you travel to South Korea, take the following steps:

• Avoid contact with sick people.
  
  
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
  
  
• Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at 60%–95% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
  
  
• It is especially important to clean hands after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

If you spent time in South Korea during the past 14 days and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing:

• Seek medical advice. Call ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel an area with community spread of coronavirus, and your symptoms.
  
  
• Avoid contact with others.
  
  
• Do not travel while sick.
  
  
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
  
  
• Clean your hands by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol immediately after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.

Healthcare providers should obtain a detailed travel history for patients with fever or acute respiratory symptoms. For patients with these symptoms who were in South Korea and had onset of illness within 2 weeks of leaving, consider novel coronavirus infection and notify infection control personnel and your local health department immediately.

For additional healthcare infection control recommendations, visit CDC's Infection Control webpage.

For additional information, please see:

__________________________________________________