Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Republic of Korea from the Perspective of Governance and Public-Private Partnership.

The government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) has established relevant laws and a master plan for infectious disease control and prevention based on their experiences with past epidemics. In addition, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has designed a standard manual for risk management that involves pan-governmental crisis management systems. This national infectious disease management system is constantly being supplemented and developed in face of infectious disease-related crises. In this study, we set out to present directions for infectious disease prevention and flow of management and governance between central and local governments to ensure systematic quarantine activities in the ROK. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, public-private partnerships have been established to collect, provide, process, and disseminate information for effective quarantine. This has enabled the development and rapid approval of test kits, the tracking of cases, and the allocation of appropriate resources for patient treatment. Additionally, the Infectious Disease Control Agency has actively utilized information and communication technology platforms to disclose information necessary in real-time for COVID-19 quarantine and management. Overall, these efforts have played an important role in epidemiological investigations, patient management, and quarantine in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Role of Primary Care and Challenges for Public-Private Cooperation during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: An Expert Delphi Study in South Korea.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the role of primary care facilities and their support measures in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to identify challenges to achieving public-private cooperation in South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four leading experts were selected and recruited to participate in this iterative web-based Delphi study. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to collect the expert panel's views in the first round. In the second round, the panel was asked to rate on a 5-point Likert scale their agreement with individual items gleaned from qualitative content analysis of views expressed in the first round. The participants were offered the opportunity to reevaluate and correct their initial responses in subsequent rounds. Responses in the second and following rounds were analyzed using quantitative descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The first and second rounds were completed by 54.2% (n=13/24) and 58.3% (n=14/24) of the selected panel, respectively, while 10 out of these 14 participants completed the third round. The panel cited in-person essential medical services, telehealth for fever/respiratory symptoms, surveillance for influenzae-like illness, and minimization of spread to staff as important and appropriate roles of primary care, which are urgent and feasible during a pandemic. Regarding conditions/support for these roles, the panel indicated that institutional support and funding for separate areas, workforce, and telehealth, along with public-private collaborative governance, are urgent, but not feasible. CONCLUSION: This study provides guidance on strategies for continuing the required roles of primary care and highlights a need to strengthen public-private partnerships during pandemic events in Korea.