By Kim Se-jeong
Health authorities said Sunday no additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) had been confirmed.
This is the first time in eight days that no more MERS patients were reported.
The virus has so far killed 32 people. The number of confirmed cases remained at 182, 91 of whom have recovered. Among the remaining 91 patients, 15 are in critical condition.
Despite the optimistic signs, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it was too early to say that the outbreak had peaked.
“We still have several hospitals to keep a close eye on,” an official said.
The list of those hospitals includes Kyung Hee University University at Gangdong; Hallym University Kangdong Sacred Heart and Konkuk University Medical Center _ all in Seoul. Two other hospitals _ in Gangneung, Gangwon Province and Guri, Gyeonggi Province _ are also under close watch.
Hallym University Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital may potentially become another epicenter like Samsung Medical Center (SMC).
The 173rd patient, a 70-year-old woman, who was treated at Hallym, possibly came into contact with 4,825 people without knowing she was infected, the ministry said. The authorities have put these people under medical surveillance. Among them, 317 are isolated in state-run quarantine facilities.
The 173rd patient was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia and her case was confirmed on June 22.
The hospital will stay under special monitoring until July 6. Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong will also stay under monitoring until July 10, while Konkuk Medical Center will be monitored until July 5.
The latest death was that of a 55-year-old man, Saturday, who is believed to have contracted the virus from the 14th patient, a super-spreader, in the SMC's emergency room on May 27. He did not suffer lung or respiratory problems but had high blood pressure and diabetes.
A 42-year-old woman, the 96th patient, is the most recent to be discharged. She was on antibiotic and antiviral treatment and discharged, Saturday after two MERS test results were negative.
Authorities are looking into how a couple of patients were infected and who they contacted.
The 166th patient, who was confirmed on June 18, has no record of visiting the troubled emergency room at SMC. He visited the hospital but mainly stayed in the cancer ward where his wife was being treated. The story is the same for the 174th patient, who had no record of visiting any of the troubled spots at SMC.
Experts said they now suspect wheelchairs, toilets and toiletries in the hospital as a source of infection, but they reassured that the spread of the virus among the public was unlikely because the infection needed close contact.
The ministry official also said a MERS patient who was confirmed as having contracted the virus while staying in China has fully recovered.
The 10th patient reportedly said he crossed the border into China because he regarded the symptoms as a cold. He is believed to have contracted the virus from his father who was treated at Pyeongtaek St. Mary’s Hospital in Gyeonggi Province in May. The businessman traveled against doctor’s instructions.