MERS Spread TimeLine

it is today that local media began mentioning hospitals effected by MERS Middle East Respiratory Syndrome by name, so my log begins on this unprecedented deadly-speading virus . note that the bulk of South Korea’s population, business and administration is concentrated within Metropolitan SEOUL which includes a handful of its satellite (residential) cities . this Post is for concise listing of dates where more precise and detailed events will be on separated Post/s . photos below are from unrelated theoretical incidents for preventive imagination :
 

1. 5.20 Wed.001 first known MERS patient in South Korea
2. 5.21 Thu.003 third patient and contacted 64 isolated
3. 5.22 Fri.003 daughter of first patient go unchecked
4. 5.23 Sat.003 wife of first patient ＋another who was in the next bed infected .
5. 5.24 Sun.
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6. 5.25 Mon.
7. 5.26 Tue.004 fourth victim is daughter of third patient’s, some doctors refuse to accept patient
8. 5.27 Wed.005 doctor of first patient effected .
9. 5.28 Thu.007 one suspected patient exits country
10. 5.29 Fri.012 Minister appologizes, patient who flew to China effected with 166 on the same flight, and rumours spread without revealing effected hospitals
11. 5.30 Sat.013 one hospital with 11 patients now closes
    ＋much alike harsh decrees of military leaders on the latter half of the last Century : MERS rumours are out-lawed (!)
12. 5.31 Sun.015 body formed of civilian and government cooperative to take measures
    ＋China and Hong Kong isolated 65 with voices there to punish Korean .
    :
13. 6.1 Mon.018 682 isolated ＋50’s patient who had contact with first patient dies (!)
14. 6.2 Tue.025 second dead and third-tier infection begins, spreading out of metropolitan SEOUL-South to DaeJeon .
15. 6.3 Wed.030 over 1,300 isolated and about 230 schools including pre- closed . On-Line shopping orders surge – where South Korea already has a popular and effective shopping system – due to fear of going to grocery stores where people gather . PyeongTaek Hospital with most effected patients named .
    ### this past Week may have been the darkest hour in modern Korean history, as there were news-bits of hospitalized MERS patients while the government was quiet and mass-media only had a couple of related head-lines .. that-is until a couple of under-dog politicians : namely Mayors of SungNam AND SEOUL contradicted the government’s stance and spoke-up ###
16. 6.4 Thu.036 first third-tier patient dies and ambulance transports patient without protection . about 540 schools began closing which amounted to 1,100 by the end of day and events canceled . as a handful of possible remedies spread through On-Line social networks : authorities claim wearing face masks and washing hands is the best prevention .
    ＋neighboring Japan begins MERS verification on Koreans entering their borders . U.S.Air Force in Osan Air Base begin strict ID checks . Korea Communications Standards Commission begins investigating false rumours mostly on On-Line social community networks mostly warning others NOT to go to specific hospital/s as they are infected with patients, and even that this may actually be Anthrax brought from the States . the first on-record was arrested on charges of falsely naming four hospitals .
    ★on a surprisingly welcome move : SungNam City – neighboring area effected most – Mayor JaeMyeong Lee publicly reveals MERS Status, countering the government’s shut-up policy – and immediately hailed as the heroe . then that evening SEOUL City Mayor WonSoon Park announced that “an effected doctor (revealed tomorrow as from SamSung SEOUL Hospital) traveled around metropolitan SEOUL contacting around 1500, but had not received any notice from the Ministry of Health and Welfare”. there may be tension between SEOUL City (Mayor) and the government (President) as they are divided on whether to reveal (former) the name of the effected hospitals or not (latter). the government has been mentioning a formation of a “Control Tower” to over-see all aspects of MERS in South Korea ..
17. 6.5 Fri.042 effected and four dead . a whole small village South-West of the Peninsula : SoonChang, JeonRaBukDo has been contained off-limits as a 70’s woman is diagnosed . plus one military officer each are showing symptoms in the Air Force as well as the Navy – from the very Osan Air Base where U.S.have been revealed to mistakenly shipped Anthrax to .
    ＋authorities found no ventilation at the room where the First Patient was in PyeongTaek St.Mary’s Hospital – the very origin of the bulk of MERS patients, and found MERS residue every-where especial in the air conditioner . from here they deducted this is not air-borne .
    ♨everyone has been buying hand sanitation liquids as well as face masks and now none can be found on any drugstore .
18. 6.6 Sat.050 the 40’s Patient who flew to China is in stable condition in HuiZhou and his genes indicate “current MERS virus don’t seem to have evolved” from their Middle-Eastern origin . so no mutation yet that would bring it air-borne (which would be deadly in a large populace dwelling in such compact land-mass). Chinese authorities have also tracked 78 people who may have been in contact with him .
    ＋the first good news as Patient No.#2 in her sixties, who is the wife of No.#1 is cured and release from hospital today . four more patients are recovering and preparing release : the initial 60’s Patient and two doctors 50’s & 20’s who cared for him, plus a 48-old man .
    *so it seems up until now that a healthy person would only go through common cold or flu stages, while those already suffering from especially lung-related illness may not recover . the four dead so far had Asthma and/or Pneumonia .
19. 6.7 Sun.064, 5 dead and over 2,300 isolated . in the morning SEOUL Mayor WonSoon Park publically requests Ministry of Health and Welfare to reveal the name of hospital initially quoted as ‘D’ by mass media . by evening finally : effected hospitals named – 24 where there were 3 more by tomorrow, among which the prestigeous SamSung SEOUL Hospital announced 17 have been infected via 3rd tier and about 700 in isolation . Education Minister announce all students will have temperature checked .
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20. 6.8 Mon.087 average age 55, 6 dead and 10 in unstable condition, 2,508 in isolation . first teenager – a high school student effected from 14th patient at SamSung SEOUL Hospital – says had minimal contact while at the Hospital and currently showing mild symptoms, also spreads to mountainous Eastern region of GangWonDo . Korea’s major port city of Busan (where quite a number of English teachers reside) at South-East corner of the Peninsula, had its first infected – got it while caring for a hospitalized relative in SamSung SEOUL May 26~28 .
    *on a brighter note : 5th patient who happens to be the doctor who looked after the first patient was cured and released today //
21. 6.9 Tue.100, 7 dead, 92nd patient is security officer emergency room of SEOUL Asan Hospital – Capital’s renowned and the country’s largest . he has been in contact for about 10 minutes with 6th patient 71, dead who visited on 5.26, and stayed for 28 minuted per CCTV record – making a total of 28 hospitals effected . list of schools closed is also announced, to-date amounting to 2,199 with 1,431 concentrated in Metropolitan GyungGiDo .
    ★WHO World Health Organization representatives visit Ministry of Health and Welfare where they announce “South Korea is doing a good job” (but they may rather mean in the aspect of cooperating with the international organization).
22. 6.10 Wed.108 and 9 dead with isolated increased by 547 in single day from yesterday to 3,439 while 11 are in unstable (i.e., critical and artificially aided to breath) condition including the doctor mentioned above on June 4 contacting about 1500 around SEOUL (to be brain-dead by the next day). on a record-hot day topping 34.9 C.to-date : a total of 36 got infected in PyeongTaek St.Mary’s Hospital, and lately SamSung SEOUL Hospital did more with 47 . hospital with the next most infected record is GeonYang University Hospital in DaeJeon . looking at it now : this whole fiasco is worsened as patients did the common Korean ritual of seeking larger and more renowned hospital when the current one could nor cure .
    ＋ Central MERS Solution HeadQuarters (translated) announced specific hospitals have been dedicated for dedicated tasks : 32 to look after those suspected, and 16 to cure those diagnosed .
    ＋ total of four cured and released . two largely international areas are still safe : inCheon of Airport fame on Western shores and Korea’s Southern-most island Jeju, which now are giving residency to Chinese real-estate buyers .
    ＋The President of South Korea who previously traveled abroad in times of national distress, announced she is cancelling her U.S.Tour .
23. 6.11 Thu.122 including a PyeongTaek police officer with 12 unstable 10 dead, 2,469 suspected, 3,805 isolated, 641 released from isolation and 4 cured thus released . as tracking former patients of SamSung SEOUL Hospital during suspected dates gets out of hand : acting Prime Minister publicly asks those to contact authorities – a contrasting turn-around from two Weeks ago when the government forbade any information . ＋WHO investigators visit this hospital and recommend schools can re-open, but Ministry of Education still advise to close two more days . plus specialists from Saudi Arabia fly-in by evening, including Director of Disease Prevention .
    *to-date : most released seem to be 2nd-tier infected at PyeongTaek St.Mary’s Hospital, while the most dead from 3rd-tier at SamSung SEOUL Hospital . this seem to be because the latter was larger and higher-level medical institute – thus had more already seriously sick and elder patients to begin with .
24. 6.12 Fri.(+4)126 and (+3) 13dead, (-125)3,680 isolated while (+294)1,249 un-isolated and 7 cured thus released (paranthesis compared to yesterday). as unpleasant World record : first pre-teen elementary school child was effected in the Satellite City of SungNam, who visited SamSung SEOUL Hospital with his father – who is in home isolation . also one more thus total of two diagnosed in the Port City of Busan or Pusan, and a young couple arrested for spreading false rumours on On-Line social networks that the department store she works at is infected, hoping it would close and she won’t have to go to work .
25. 6.13 Sat.(+12)138 and (+1)14 dead with (+334)4,014 isolated and (+681)1,930 released . WHO Representatives issued their first announcement of investigating local MERS for 5 days of arrival into South Korea – listed here on separated Post . over-all feeling is that 3rd-tier effection (those who got it from the person infected from the Patient Zero) report and status may be stabilizing, but dread-ful (as this may be the beginning of infection out-side of hospital surroundings) 4th-tier may be beginning – showing sporadic mapping . the Maginot Line focuses on an infected ambulence worker, which is ideally a “mobile hospital” herding 37 people . plasma from those already cured are being used on those who were healthy but getting critical after effected .
    ＋international response ? with already over 100,000 tourist canceling and 16 cruise ships skipping to dock in inCheon Por this Month : a dance event supposed to be held in-land at SongDo Park came to show at the dock for the passengers to view from aboard, but not a single passenger unboarded to tour the City .
    ＋just before midnight they announced SamSung SEOUL Hospital – touted as the nation’s finest, and now with the most infected cases – will close part of its operations including new patients, out-patient, surgical operation and emergency room .
26. 6.14 Sun.(+7)145 with (+1)15 dead and (+842)4,856 isolated while (+543)2,473 released, 10 cured and released . age-range of patients effected with MERS expected to be weakening elderly of 50~70, is seeing increase of 30~40 .
    ＋a medical association barely translated as Committee for innovation of Medical System, right, just formed today is taking-up the government’s stance on arresting those spreading untrue rumours about current MERS, by suing SEOUL City Mayor on his revealing announcement noted on June 4th above //
    :
27. 6.15 Mon.(+5)150 with (+2)16 dead, (+1,009)5,216 isolated and (+649) released while (+4)14 cured and released . 3 out of the 5 additionally diagnosed today : were 4th-tier effection which may be out of previous hospital surrounding thus at a critical point in investigation as well as possible out-burst .. a medical worker with full body-protection gear has been diagnosed : and authorities deem it may have been while touching the mask or gear from observing CCTV recording, as caring for the infected requires much movement .
    ＋additional scary word that has come-out today on the news is “guerilla-type” appearance of the sick, outside of isolated numbers suspected of effection . *so I myself am slowly loosing focus of what is what any more, for a few exceptions of previous safety boundaries are sporadically being over-run .. more-so the Ministry of Health and Welfare may be selective on which information to release and NOT during their regular Press briefings : like belately revealing SamSung SEOUL Hospital doctors were in previous effected list .
28. 6.16 Tue.(+4)154 with (+3)19 dead of which 14 are men and 5 women and 70’s age consisting of 37% and 60’s 32%. also (+3)17 cured and released of which 11 are male and 6 female, most are in their 40’s as 47% and 50’s 18%. while (+370)5,586 isolated of which 348 are under observation and 5,238 at their homes . about 20 foreigners are included here, namely Chinese among which more than half have left the country while non-exit orders were being processed .
    ＋as mass-income Duty-Free Shops and major port cities of inCheon and Busan report tourist cancelations : Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism set-out to offer pay-back incentives including USD $3,000 if infected, which is in turn criticized abroad that such money should be use to research and cure the disease .
    ＋most of newly diagnosed patients are from SamSung SEOUL Hospital while a few others are being added  plus the virus itself nor its behaviour fully understood, as exceptions exist such as diagnose coming 3 days after presumed incubation period of 14 days – to which Health authorities state it is an isolated case and no need to divert current measures .
    ＋a second new word from yesterday’s “guerilla-type”: in an expression that roughly translates to “complicatedly twisted” is used to describe current MERS status over news media, as more cases arise outside of boundaries set by local Ministry as isolation terms, basically patients in the same room, situated within 2 meters of infected, for longer than an hour . thus it also seem the authorities are beginning to lose track of who went where, as 4th-tier infections arise – speculated involve much more people to suspect as well as harder to track especially once riding on mass-transit like subways .
29. 6.17 Wed.(+8)162 according to existing MERS incubation theory : number of newly diagnosed patients should be on the decline, but NOT so although all seem to have been infected in pre-named hospitals : like-wise isolated rose sharply by+922 (17%) from yesterday – which may have to do with safer, thus wider selection – totalling 6508 by sun-rise among which 250 (72%) added to total in hospital observation by 598, and home isolation increased 672 (13%) for a total of 672 . 446 (13%) was released from isolation making 3951 so far . furthermore one dead this morning, making 19 total .
30. 6.18 Thu.(+3)165 and (+3)23 dead, (+221)6,729 isolated and (+541)4,492 released while (+5)24 cured (parenthesis compared to yesterday).
    ＋one of the last area NOT to have been yet infected with MERS : the Southern-most resort island of Jeju is on the news, as an isolated middle-age man flew out of GimPo Airport on Korean Air Business Classs to Jeju Airport, with his family over June 5~8 . they did the tourist ritual of renting a car, going to hotels, buffet, riding horse and visiting Eco Park, while he is said to have rested in the car as he was tired, while his family was touring . the next day after returning : he reported to authorities as symtoms appeared . soon-after about 120 people are being monitored including those he came in contact on the plane as well as hotel . then at sun-down one of the three pronominent resort hotels in Jeju : Shilla – of SamSung Conglomerate – announced they were closing to cosideration of their customers . this shows how serious current situation is in South Korea .
    he is thought to have been infected while accompanying his father on regular check-up at SamSung SEOUL Hospital on May 27 . however he had cold/flu symptoms before on 23rd and after recovering on June 3 from pills, sought out on the short vacation . and right below those news I see travel advertisements (automatically generated from its belonging content) .. scary .
    ＋just over the strait further South : 6 suspected of MERS (3 Koreans and 3 Japanese) have flown to neighboring Japan, but none show any symptoms .
31. 6.19 Fri.(+1)166 and (+1)24 dead, (-799)5,930 isolated while (+1,043)5,535 released with (+6)30 cured . slightly felt three days ago and now The Force is stronger : today’s optimistic announcement that MERS containment is slowly holding steady, may be correct – hence this may be the turning-point on South Korea’s unprecedented crisis . on that note : nation-wide effort to pursue those who came close to effected, is certainly incredible . however, there seem to be no sight-in-view to public paranoia as those who neglected the effect on the first two Weeks, are now concerned as words of effected who dwell near in their neighborhood spead .
32. 6.20 Sat.for the first day since MERS OutBreak in South Korea : infected AND dead number remain the same from yesterday . this was happening during the worst Spring draught in 42 years and vegetable price had been rising steadily . then it rained .. as if to lay the last forgiveness over a sin-ful Peninsula . throughout the Peninsula, but in short spasms thus NOT enough to make-up for preceding draught . but authorities still worry June 24 Wednesday to 28 Sunday next Week : would be the end of incubation period on those effected through “super-spreader” Patience No.#137; for the record : effected ratio between men and women is 6-to-4 . current death rate is 14.5%, most of which had existing high blood pressure or diabetes or old age over 60, with (+6)36 cured while 106 is cared-for in MERS-safe-designated hospital among which 15 is unstable and breathing sustained artificially . isolated continue to reduce : today by -733 from yesterday to 5,197 and 1,916 additionally released from isolation from yesterday to a total of 7,451 so far .. but by day’s-end : another has died .
    ＋a new question emerged today as Patient Zero – the elder who started it all : said he did NOT eat any camel meat while in the Middle East .. mazing authorities on how he got it in the first place .
33. 6.21 Sun.(+3)169 and (+1)25 dead, while (-1,162)4,032 isolated with (+1,361)8,812 released and (+7)43 cured . two of the 3 newly diagnosed today are in medical profession caring for the infected . thus although more are being released, what Hope there was yesterday that NEW effection will cease : is short-lived like the spasm of rain over the draught Peninsula //
    ＋SEOUL City Authorities have inspected subway stations Patient No.#137 have used, and found no residue of MERS Virus : Seoul National University Entrance, GyoDae (Education University) Hub, ilWon, JamSil, GeonDae (GeonGuk University) Entrance, GangNam, ShinDoRim, ShiChung (SEOUL City Hall) and SEOUL Stations .
    :
34. 6.22 Mon.(+3)172 diagnosed, (+2)27 dead; (-202)3,833 isolated, (+519)9,331 released and (+7)50 cured (parenthesis indicated difference from yesterday). 3 newly effected are aged over 60, of which one showed positive 10 days after currently known incubation period of 14 days . 2 dead yesterday were over 80 with existing ailments .
    ＋ The latest to be effected is Guri – a small city on the Eastern out-skirts of SEOUL – from today’s newly added Patient No.#170 . thought to have been effected while at GuonGuk Universit Hospital 6th Floor while Patient No.#76 was on the same floor but NOT near enough to be isolated . he too had done his hospital-hopping ritual around the Eastern end of the Capital, including Kaiser Recovery 6.19 Fri., internal-Comfort (translated) 6.20 Sat.and the same day to HanYang University Hospital where he was diagnosed – all in Guri . possible effect and tracking at Kaiser is of concern since it has many weak elders . more-over it is in a building with wedding hall, bank, employment center, kid’s cafe and family restaurant where elevators are shared .
    ＋The original tracking team at Ministry of Health and Welfare is presumed to be a total of 34 of which 32 are medical school graduates serving mandatory military duty . to that : 90 civilian specialists were added as current situation worsened .
    ＋The nation’s Southern-most tourist island of Jeju seems to have been spared : as incubation period for those affected from Patient No.#141 noted on 6.18 above, has passed 4pm today without any diagnosed .
35. 6.23 Tue.(+3)175 effected and (0)27 dead, with (-1,028)2,805 isolated and (+1,387)2,805 released while (+4)54 cured . 5 more people who had been suspected to be infected from a “super spreader” Patient No.#14 aged 35, while at SamSung SEOUL Hospital between June 27 Wedsnesday~29 Friday got newly diagnosed 11 days after known incubation period . thus authorities are in maze figuring how it was infected . they doubt either the virus emerge after currently-known incubation period, or between family while at home-isolation . another newly-effected mystery (Guri case yesterday) involves two patients who were on the same floor : at opposite sides of a hospital ward, with nurse station in-between for five hours // while the virus seem largely being contained : MERS is noteably shown less over front-page of local mass media this Week (last Week roughly 70% versus this Week 30%).
    ＋as the Chairman of SamSung Electronics Conglomerate stays ill at the very hospital for almost a year new : his son and vice-Chairman held a nation-wide press conference to appologise to those effected, and charismatically announced to take care of all them until the end .
36. 6.24 Wed.as mainly-targetted hospital shifts from PyeongTaek St.Mary’s through SamSung SEOUL to GangDong KyungHee University now : two scary news begin to appear on smaller networks, that keeping tracking of numbers above may have no meaning :
    a) the authorities are keeping their incubation limit of 14 days-theory and releasing those past it, even though over 20 patients’ effector cannot be traced, of which 3 remains unclear
    b) authorities refuse to check people with similar symptoms who visit their neighborhood doctor, if they say they did NOT visit any of the hospitals currently known to be the spreader of MERS .
37. 6.25 Thu.―further time-line suspended to get my share of Apple Watch landing on the Peninsula June 26 Friday, although I have already got some from a quite-hard soujourn throughout neighboring Japan ―
38. 6.26 Fri.whew~ got my Apple Watches on another manic research on availability trend analysis and physical leg-work . nation-(and near-by countries from where tourists visit)-wide MERS scare did NOT stop people from gathering onto two places this Week : NEW apartment project bid (house-wives) and Apple Watch sale locations (more younglings), although I’ve managed to target vendors with lesser crowd .
39. 6.27 Sat.as numbers deemed to have no meaning, will continue with new news : number of effected AND death toll continue to rise, although by a couple each day . catalyst seem to be whether the third-effect large university-scale hospital in SEOUL’s Eastern-end (thus rightfully translated meaning “East of the River”) GangDong will contain MERS spread, adding to another mystery as one of its nurse is diagnosed with NO symptoms ?!
    ＋following 9 people in the medical field including 5 doctors were diagnosed at SamSung SEOUL Hospital – until which they simply wore surgery gowns perhaps revealing neck and arms .. authorities are now requiring those caring for infected to wear Level D full-body protective gear .
    ＋mountainous Eastern region of GangWonDo is in trouble as Ministry of Health and Welfare authorities there themselves are effected and isolated,
    ＋MERS panic is having a direct effect on politics, inevitably as a national crisis, as the President refuse to attend House of Representatives efforts to pass new laws .
    ＋although the bulk of this time-line contents are deducted from local media : MERS is mentioned only a couple (meaning two) at best on front-page of English newspapers covering South Korea – a stark mis-representation considering this disease is effecting at least 80% of business as well as private life currently .
40. 6.28 Sun.another to make 3 dead who was NOT over 60 nor had previous existing illness, with a total of 32 by today . authorities say whether they can contain current MERS at above mentioned GangDong Hospital by next Week is the catalyst, but the end seems no-where in sight .. but people’s caution laxed as more came-out this Weekend than last, to shop etc.,
41. 6.29 Mon.182 effected and 32 dead numbers remain the same from yesterday, while (+120)2,682 isolated with (+128)13,136 released so far and (+2)93 cured .
42. 6.30 Tue.record fourth day without any additional diagnose at 182 while (+1)33 dead as of this morning . (-44)2,638 isolated and (+218)13,354 released with (+2)95 cured .
43. 7.1 Wed.with effected and/or dead holding : MERS almost seem to be containing, but authorities warn precaution ..
44. 7.2 Thu.5 days after no additional MERS patient was diagnosed : two nurses at SamSung SEOUL Hospital are effected .
45. 7.3 Fri. in stark contrast to SamSung Conglomerate Vice-Charman’s nation-wide announcement 11 days ago above, that he (his hospital) “will cure all infected until the end with responsibility” : all (a dozen) under MERS treatment will be moved-out (relocated) from SamSung SEOUL hospital – fully implimented the next day . reason can be two-folds :
    (1) hospital official continue to be effected although gradually, and are taking toll on their own health, thus under-mining their ability to care for patients and (2) as a corporate entity, they seek to disinfect their hospital to resume normal operations .
46. 7.4 Sat.(+1)185 diagnosed, (same)33 dead, (-633)1,434 isolated, (+640)14,702 released and (+2)111 cured . additional doctor at SamSung SEOUL Hospital is infected .

additional and subtraction number indescrepencies between ensuing dates : may result from different clock-times either news were recorded

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