A man from Brescia in Seoul: “That’s why Korea is almost Covid-free”

11/24/2020 Health, Italy, Technology



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Walking like a European through the streets of Seoul and Incheon one has the feeling that the coronavirus forgot about South Korea. The streets are full of people chatting. The stores are open without restrictions on hours and people. Internet cafes are full of people who take advantage of the connection for the price of a cappuccino.

Even so, the figures published by the government speak of less than 500 new cases per day since March. The question arises: why is a nation comparable to Italy in terms of the number of inhabitants that do not suffer from panic caused by a pandemic?

There are three answers: Compliance, technology and a high sense of civic duty. In February, Korea It was one of the first countries to be affected by the coronavirus and, also given its proximity to China, cases immediately skyrocketed to more than 1,000 infections a day. The government got down to work to assemble a machine that became fully operational in a short time, also thanks to the collaboration of the population.

A couple of times a day, Koreans (and those entering the country) must report their health status to the authorities. through an app, keeping geolocation active. Doing so results in a full tracking of each person, both in terms of symptoms and movements. By joining a severe social distancing the use of mask, the number of daily infections has been drastically reduced.

And the population, in its great majority, Scrupulously observed the rules.

But the fear remains: Many restaurants have seen a 30-40% drop in reservations. In many stores you can enter without problems, whereas 11 months ago you had to wait your turn in line. What is pleasantly surprising is respect and care for others, even for strangers. In South Korea, the daily use of surgical masks is respected; more: if in recent months you are too close to another person, your fellow citizens ask you to move away because contact can be dangerous for both of you. A mentality that seeks respect for the rules and the common good before its own. And the data on daily infections speak for themselves: they may be right.