The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy said on Thursday that it has finalized a roadmap to make the Korean quarantine model, or “K-quarantine,” a global standard.

The government will use the roadmap to propose 18 international standards, which systemized the Korean quarantine model that can be summed up as “3T” -- Test (diagnosis/confirmation) - Trace (epidemiological survey/trace) -Treat (isolation/treatment) -- to various international organizations, including the International Standard Organization (ISO).

Aside from the 18 international standards, including the operational procedure of the drive-thru testing facility, the roadmap also includes standardization plans for clinical data and standards material gained from the research and development process concerning K-quarantine.

Out of the 18, six are about test and confirmation, four, about epidemiological investigations and trace, and eight, about isolation and treatment.

The government will propose first drive-through and walk-through screening, which can be standardized immediately. As to other areas that require research to develop a model formula, it will propose gradually to complete the entire process by the first half of 2022.

The six international standards to be proposed in the test-confirmation stage include diagnosis agent and equipment, testing methods and the operation of screening clinics.

The four standards in the epidemiological survey and tracing stage comprise a mobile application, electronic medical record, and epidemiological investigation support system to track and manage patients in self-quarantine more effectively.

The eight standards in the isolation and treatment stage include the operation of the community treatment center to isolate and treat confirmed Covid-19 patients, social distancing guidelines, and approval procedures for emergency use of in vitro diagnostic kits.

Particularly, the government will push to develop standards for methods to protect personal information and procedures to ensure legitimacy, safety, and transparency in collecting and processing personal data.

“These proposals are meaningful as Korea is attempting to make its quarantine model an international standard, some which the international community had failed to do in previous epidemics,” Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo said. “By making K-quarantine an international standard, the nation will strengthen its global leadership and play a leading role in forming a new international order.”

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