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The Telegraph
Asymptomatic spread is to blame as Asian countries struggle to contain Covid resurgence
The escalating coronavirus outbreaks could prove to be a “real test” for Asian countries that have so far maintained control of Covid-19 without strict lockdowns, experts warned. On Friday, South Korea reported more than 500 new Covid-19 cases for the second day in a row, a figure that had not been seen since March, while infections rose 41% in Japan over the past week. Both countries have been highly praised for their success in keeping large outbreaks at bay. Meanwhile, Malaysia saw new cases surpassing 2,000 for the first time and in Hong Kong, where infections hovered in the single digits, authorities detected 81 cases on Thursday. Dale Fisher, a professor of infectious diseases at the National University of Singapore, told the Telegraph that the latest revivals could prove a “real test case” for governments. “It’s been a year now and these increases are some of the biggest we’ve seen,” he said, adding that the rallies are largely driven by small clusters rather than large super spread events. “This suggests that Covid could be a bit more intrinsic in the community.” In South Korea, there is growing concern that its highly praised contact tracing system could be stretched as a result. While most of the cases have been detected in the Seoul metropolitan area, the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) cautioned that the latest increase in cases is not concentrated in specific regions or groups. This is in contrast to previous shoots. In February, for example, South Korea was able to contain a blockbuster event linked to a church in Daegu through strict but localized control measures and rigorous contact tracing. The KDCA added that the rise in asymptomatic patients (they accounted for about 40 percent of new infections, compared with 20-30 percent in June) has led to an increase in untraceable Covid clusters, while the weather Cold has pushed people indoors where the virus spreads more easily. Hospital capacity has also been questioned. This week, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun warned that daily infections could exceed 1,000, leading to a shortage of intensive care beds if the current rebound continues for more than a fortnight. Professor Fisher said the increase may be due in part to fatigue, but also to “overconfidence, because the response in these countries has been successful to date.” “If they can really control this it will be a testament to their strategies,” he said. “But I really hope that in Asia we can control it with public health measures instead of needing a lockdown.” The reopening of nightlife in several countries, including Hong Kong and South Korea, has also fueled the resurgence, Professor Fisher added. “You could argue that they pushed the bar a bit with the reopening of nightclubs and bars, but it’s about finding the sweet spot between the economy, health and social,” he said. “It will be interesting to see, however, if they can modify social restrictions and improve behaviors to reduce the numbers, or if they have to go through a blackout light.” This week, the government imposed strict social distancing rules in and around the capital city, closing nightclubs and bars, introducing restaurant curfews and limiting religious services, just a month after similar measures were eased. Meanwhile, in Japan, Tokyo reported 570 new Covid cases on Friday, a new record for the capital city, while shorter opening hours were imposed in bars, karaoke lounges and restaurants at Osaka hotspots. The country’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has called the next three weeks a “critical moment” amid growing concern that both hospitals and the contact tracing system may reach their limits. The country is also reducing two controversial subsidy schemes, Go to Travel and Go to Eat, which were designed to stimulate domestic tourism and eating out, after it became clear that the program was a driving force behind the third wave. “I think this just shows that there is a vulnerability in relaxation, which no one is immune from,” said Julian Tang, consulting virologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary, adding that Covid fatigue is showing up around the world. But he stressed that while the rising numbers are “alarming,” especially given the large elderly population in countries like Japan, Asian nations are still far better positioned than much of the world to respond to any resurgence. “There are two reasons: First, extensive testing has been done for much longer, but I think the population is probably more compatible in Japan and South Korea,” he said. Professor Fisher, who is also president of the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, added that governments “will be able to increase contact tracing, ensure that people are isolated and quarantined, that sense of community responsibility is pretty good. ” He also said that he said border closures make Asian countries “less vulnerable to what the neighbor is doing.” While some countries are struggling, cases have dropped by six percent in Southeast Asia in the last seven days, according to WHO figures. 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