2024-08-06 17:42:37
“Now, the atmosphere is such that it’s just considered a cold… If you’re sick, you end up using up your annual leave.”
Mr. Lee, a 20-year-old working at a securities firm in Yeouido, weakly complained that his throat was swollen and he felt weak, but that he had no choice but to “bear with it.” Since two people on the same floor tested positive for COVID-19 last week, Mr. Lee also cannot help but feel anxious.
According to a comprehensive report from News 1 on the 6th, the COVID-19 virus, which had been dormant, has recently been showing signs of resurgence, deepening the concerns of office workers. With the quarantine requirement lifted, people should use their personal annual leave when they are sick, but with the holiday season overlapping, there are frequent cases where even that cannot be used due to work.
According to the status of hospitalized patients at 220 surveillance institutions with 200 or more beds nationwide released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 2nd, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from the 21st to the 30th of last month was 465, doubling the previous week (226).
Mr. Lee explained, “Both the team leader and the deputy manager are going to work sick without even getting tested.” He added, “According to company regulations, if a person is confirmed with COVID-19, they are ‘recommended’ to work from home on the same day, must come to work as normal the next day, and if they want to rest, they must use personal annual leave.”
Some workers were reluctant to reveal that they had tested positive for COVID-19 or did not use their annual leave due to work-related reasons.
Mr. Park (32, male), who works in Mokpo, said, “If you test positive, you usually take sick leave, but I understand that it will end up being deducted from your annual leave next year.” He added, “One of my coworkers recently got infected, but he quietly used his annual leave out of a sense of responsibility and returned to work two days later wearing a mask.”
Mr. A, an office worker in the distribution industry, said, “Only two people on our team got infected, but we wore masks to work without resting,” and “Many of my friends say that if they are sick, they will be a nuisance, so they always wear masks when taking public transportation.”
According to the ‘2024 Coronavirus Disease-19 Management Guidelines’ published by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, quarantine is recommended for up to 24 hours after the main symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, fever, headache, etc.) have improved. However, in cases of severe symptoms or immunocompromised patients, the period of restrictions on attending school, work, or school may vary depending on the doctor’s judgment.
An official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “Since it was designated as a Class 4 infectious disease in August of last year, quarantine has been changed from mandatory to recommended,” and “We plan to hold a meeting on the 8th to review the current spread trend and, if necessary, issue a message to the public.”
Experts advise people to get tested and wear a mask if they have symptoms, even though the coronavirus is not yet at an “epidemic” level.
Professor Cheon Eun-mi of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Daemok Hospital said, “Since many people already have immunity from past infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no need to worry about an explosive spread,” but emphasized, “Even if you feel fine, if you have symptoms, you should get tested and rest, and you should wear a KF94 mask, not a dental mask.”
(Seoul = News 1)
2024-08-06 17:42:37