Photologue @theuostimes7
As of March 18, 2022, the daily number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Korea reached 407,017. With the number of confirmed cases increasing, South Korea has drastically changed its quarantine system, such as abolition of quarantine pass, use of self-diagnosis kit, exemption from self-quarantine for those living with the confirmed case, and self-homecare. Accordingly, the numbers of "Shy Omicron" patients who do not want to be tested are increasing since they cannot receive any support or treatment from the government and a confirmed diagnosis will bring a lot of inconvenience to their daily lives.
In this chaotic situation, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, you may feel embarrassed. Typical symptoms of Omicron are sore throat, fever and headache, muscle pain and loss of smell and taste. The first thing you have to do after having these symptoms is to be tested. You can get a rapid antigen test by a medical professional at a local hospital, and if it comes out positive, you will be confirmed. The results of an individual rapid antigen test are not recognized as confirmed cases, and PCR test is mainly conducted for elderly people, family members living together with confirmed patients, or immunocompromised persons.
If you are confirmed, you must be isolated at home for 7 days, and it is recommended that you use a separate room and toilet for those living with you. It is also recommended that the person living with you also undergo a PCR test. The 'non-face-to-face treatment' method, which allows you to receive a prescription for a medicine just by a phone call with a doctor, is being implemented, and medicines should be brought by your family or acquaintance from the pharmacy. Lastly, don't forget to receive the COVID-19 living support fund after you recover.
Even if you tested negative, as long as you have symptoms suspected of COVID-19, you need to be prescribed medication at a hospital and continue to monitor your health condition. These days are hard for everyone, but experts predict that the number of confirmed cases will soon peak, and that it will begin to decline after March 23. Some people say that Omicron is like the common cold, but some people suffer more intensely than the flu. As the government's quarantine system has collapsed, it is time to pay more attention to our personal quarantine and never underestimate the peril of COVID-19.