Student finally tests negative for virus following initial positive result

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul high school student who tested positive after visiting the nation's largest indoor theme park has been finally given a clean bill of health after a retest, authorities said Wednesday.

The student, identified only as a female senior at Wonmook High School in the eastern ward of Jungnang, had her first two COVID-19 tests on May 20 and 25 after exhibiting symptoms, such as a cough and sore throat, and the results were negative.

After visiting Lotte World Adventure in southern Seoul, along with three friends last Friday, however, the student tested positive for the virus Sunday.

Her positive test result had immediately triggered an alarm bell for the quarantine authorities, who forced both her school and Lotte World Adventure to close temporarily for disinfection and ordered coronavirus tests for all 769 students and staff at the high school.

After all of the students and staff tested negative, the authorities conducted additional tests on the female student and finally concluded that she is not infected with the virus.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the student showed negative results in the two most recent tests conducted Tuesday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government Institute of Health and Environment and the Seoul Medical Center.

Her coronavirus-related antibody test also produced a negative result, the office noted.

Following the final test results, the student was released from self-isolation and her school will reopen Thursday, it added.

Meanwhile, a southern Seoul cram school said all of its 471 students and staff have tested negative in virus tests conducted after one of its cafeteria employees was found to be infected earlier this week.

The outbreak has also raised concerns over the potential spread of the virus in the large cram school where many high school graduates stay for long hours every day to prepare for a college entrance exam.

The Daesung Academy Kangnam said it will reopen Thursday and faithfully implement hygiene and social distancing guidelines in the future.

ycm@yna.co.kr
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