A text message from a Seoul-based hospital notifying Yoo Hye-ji’s mother of possible infection of Middle East respiratory syndrome sent her whole family into panic Sunday evening.

“A patient who stayed at our hospital’s emergency room was confirmed to have MERS, so we are writing to inform you that you might have been exposed to the virus. A member of staff at a community health center will give you a call,” the text message read.

“Nearly an hour passed, but my mother’s phone did not ring. I had to phone the hospital to find out the situation,” Yoo, who has been under quarantine at home since Sunday, told The Korea Herald.

A day after her mother visited the hospital, the 25-year-old office worker learned that the 76th confirmed MERS patient stayed at the hospital’s emergency room until Saturday morning, the same day Yoo’s mother had surgery for a fracture.

A government official from her local ward office finally contacted them Monday, but only asked Yoo’s mother to quarantine herself at home. The official did not ask any further questions, and so failed to find out that Yoo and her father also visited the emergency room to take care of her. Yoo and her father were quarantined only after they reported themselves to the authorities. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, some 2,892 people were under quarantine. The government reported the seventh death from MERS and confirmed eight more cases of the disease, pushing the number of confirmed patients to 95. Three confirmed patients were discharged after recovery.

“The government appears unprepared to cope with the MERS outbreak,” Yoo said, pointing to gaps in the authorities’ efforts to trace all contacts of infected people and place them under quarantine.

“It seems like the government totally depends on the medical records provided by hospitals, meaning that it is unrealistic to trace all those possibly exposed to the virus,” she said.

Although Yoo understands the government’s difficulty in monitoring everyone under quarantine, she doubts whether it can combat the spread of MERS this way.

“The official assigned to our family checks whether we are at home and have symptoms for MERS by phone twice a day,” Yoo said. “If we don’t answer our phone, there is no way he can track us.”

Despite the government’s stepped-up efforts to contain the deadly virus, concerns are growing that the authorities’ lax management of those quarantined could lead to transmission of the disease outside of hospitals.

Local news outlets are reporting increasing numbers of cases in which patients suspected of having MERS are wandering around hospitals for treatment, potentially exposing unspecified crowds to the virus.

Four days on since Yoo’s family was placed in isolation, they are still suffering from a lack of food and heaps of rubbish at home.

“When I asked how we can feed ourselves and deal with the garbage without stepping outside, the government official kept saying ‘We cannot help it,’” Yoo said, berating the government for not providing enough instructions for those abruptly placed under quarantine.

“They should offer us more than a mask, disinfectants and a simple brochure with measures to prevent MERS,” she said, calling on the government to give more detailed instructions and create a bearable environment for those quarantined.

With food running out, Yoo ordered groceries through an online shopping mall to have them delivered in front of her door, preparing for the days to come under quarantine.

Given MERS has an incubation period of two to 14 days, the family needs to be in isolation for 10 more days.

Meanwhile, some others placed in isolation said that the fast-circulating rumors in the community about their possible infection made them feel even more isolated.

“Even after our family is released from quarantine, I am not sure we can continue to live in this neighborhood with such a stigma,” said a doctor, who has been quarantined for nearly two weeks.

While Yoo’s family was considered “lucky” to be informed by the hospital of their possible infection, many others showing symptoms are having difficulties in receiving medical check-ups to confirm whether they are infected.

As part of efforts to prevent the virus from further spreading, the government set up a hotline for those suspected of MERS to report themselves to the authorities.

But the lines are always busy, a 31-year-old Seoul citizen said, adding that the parties in charge of protecting citizens appear to be trying to shift responsibility onto each other.

“When I managed to contact a counsellor, she said that I should go to a hospital first. When I went to a hospital, the doctor said that I should go to a community health clinic,” he said.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)