Simulation Game: Crisis Management

Chapter 578 - 262: Nationwide Chaos

"What should we do now?"

"Find a way to set up more PCR testing sites, quickly screen those infected, and get the experts to broadcast the MERS mutation and increased transmissibility. We can only do so much; we must try to get the government to step in, preferably with special permission from Cheongwadae."

Gu Ji briefly answered Jiang Youzhen’s question over the phone, then took Sun Zaisi and others to the virus PCR testing site at AM Hospital, leaving the samples to be tested by the nurse.

Jiang Youzhen acted very fast.

By noon, he had his brother Jiang Songyuan and Lin Renna draft a press release, and let experts widely publicize it live.

But even so, it was still impossible to stop the continuous spread of the infection.

Although the whole country was dealing with the MERS incident, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea’s "Infectious Disease Crisis Management Standards Guide," it had not yet reached the "severe" level of national disaster control and would therefore continue to maintain the MERS level at the "alert" stage.

It was precisely because of the government’s continued indulgence.

On June 3, confirmed infections increased to 30 people;

On June 4, there were 36 confirmed cases and 3 deaths;

On June 5, there were 41 confirmed cases and 4 deaths.

For two consecutive days, MERS patients died, and the total confirmed cases surpassed the 40 mark, with the first occurrence of third-generation human-to-human transmission cases, forcing schools to begin large-scale closure.

On June 3, only 214 schools were closed, but by the 4th, it instantly increased to 1,162 schools, causing widespread panic to rapidly spread through South Korean society, with everyone feeling threatened.

The AM Hospital expert live broadcast attracted a daily viewership of even over 50,000 people.

But the most serious issue was.

The task progress bar in the lower-left corner of Gu Ji’s screen showed that the current infected areas had reached seven regions. In addition to the five regions previously announced by the World Health Organization, Busan Metropolitan City and Slovakia were added.

Indeed, because the South Korean government did not order airports to be controlled.

A 38-year-old employee of South Korean Kia Motors arrived in Slovakia on June 3, 2015, to work in the northern city of Hirana, and subsequently showed suspected MERS symptoms, was immediately transferred to the capital’s hospital, and was confirmed infected.

Just one more region added and Gu Ji would face another failure.

Seeing the two red hearts in the upper-left corner, the pressure in his heart instantly multiplied.

He believed that this round’s start had already been perfect.

If he had to start over again, regardless of whether he would be infected with MERS, Gu Ji didn’t have the energy to continue; from the second round until now, his nerves had been tense every day.

If not for choosing the endurance mark as the first reward goal, he estimated that he would have already collapsed.

"No, I must find a way to make the South Korean government start responding." Gu Ji took out his phone and continued to urge Jiang Youzhen, trying to contact Cheongwadae.

Perhaps the MERS incident had reached a point beyond the South Korean government’s control.

Jiang Youzhen indeed managed to arrange a meeting with experts from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, even with members of parliament and high-ranking officials from Cheongwadae, agreeing to discuss over dinner at 5:30 pm at a hotel restaurant in downtown Seoul.

Just after lunchtime.

Gu Ji came out from the isolation ward of AM Hospital, disinfected with alcohol spray by a nurse, holding the PCR virus test reports of Sun Zaisi and others.

Who knew if they had some kind of bizarre luck?

Despite close contact with the fat prosecutor for so long, after days of testing, not a single one of them was positive.

"Let us in! My son is dying, please save him!"

"Please let us in!"

"Please do not crowd, line up in an orderly manner, first fill out the form, focusing on travel history, namely which places visited in 14 days, then take a temperature measurement, and do the PCR!"

At this moment, chaos and arguments suddenly erupted in the outpatient department lobby.

It turned out that a family brought their son to see a doctor, the father carrying a child of about seven or eight years old, trying to squeeze through the isolation tapes and security personnel’s obstruction.

The child had fallen into a coma, but it was unclear if MERS was the cause.

Because Gu Ji’s initial order was to separate fever respiratory outpatient from other illnesses, intended to prevent infected MERS patients from transmitting to others, causing nosocomial infections.

But as the infection concentrated and broke out.

More and more South Koreans came to big hospitals upon any fever or cough, out of fear, plus hospitals had to care for a large number of medical observation and isolation patients daily, resources were starting to get short-staffed.

"Clear the way, make way quickly!"

Two healthcare workers in protective clothing, each carrying a half-transparent yellow bag printed with a black biohazard symbol, hospital waste bags filled with discarded masks, protective suits, and syringes, approached.

The security officer removed the isolation tape to let the healthcare workers leave first.

Just then, another healthcare worker arrived with two large boxes of disinfectant alcohol, intending to squeeze through the gap.

Seeing the security personnel still blocking them, making them queue.

The anxious father finally erupted, suddenly carrying the child and breaking through into the passage, "Let us in!!"

"Ah!" screamed a startled healthcare worker, falling back with the box slipping from their hands.

At this moment, coincidentally, a woman supporting a severely coughing elderly Korean lady walked by.

Seeing the dozen pounds heavy box of alcohol about to crash onto the white-haired elderly lady, Gu Ji decided instantly, bending his legs to gather strength, like an old ape squatting, sliding past with one foot to block the falling box with arms in a cross in front.