When Covid-19 broke out, South Korea conducted a "speedy" test, which caused the number of cases to skyrocket, but helped reduce mortality.

South Korea this morning recorded 114 new cases, bringing the number of cases nationwide to 7,869. The number of new infections yesterday was 242, much lower than the increase of over 500 cases per day last week. As the fourth largest "outbreak" Covid-19 in the world, South Korea has so far recorded 66 deaths, far below the 354 deaths of the third-ranked country, Iran.

Instead of adopting a method of blocking the epidemic cities like China and South Korea, the open information model is used, encouraging the public to participate in anti-epidemic and large-scale testing in a "speedy" way.

Everyone who has been in contact with a patient has been identified and tested. Government websites post a 14-day travel history of patients, identified through the use of credit cards, security cameras and mobile phone tracking.

People often receive notification messages whenever a new case is detected in the area where they live or work. This policy is a privacy concern, but it also encourages people to provide information and to take the initiative to test if in doubt.

The test fee is about 160,000 won (130 USD), but the suspect (who relates to confirmed cases) or those who give positive results are free. This measure encourages people to voluntarily test, help detect early and prevent the spread of disease.

South Korea can perform more than 15,000 tests a day and has conducted 220,000 tests as of March 11. They have more than 500 laboratories specialized in dealing with Covid-19, including more than 40 test stations without leaving the car, which helps minimize contact between patients and medical staff.

South Korea has learned from previous translations. They had struggled because of a lack of testing kits during the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) outbreak, prompting the country to develop a rapid approval system for its anti-epidemic activities.

Within a few weeks after Covid-19 broke out in China, Korea developed the fast nCoV test kit, giving results after 6 hours. Government emergency approval and kits are provided for clinics.

Officials urged people to stay home, avoid gathering and minimize contact with others, leaving the streets and shops and restaurants quiet, even in the crowded capital areas of Seoul. A series of events, from Kpop concerts to sports matches, were canceled. Most people wear masks, according to government recommendations.

With this "massive" test, the number of nCoV infections in South Korea increases dramatically, but the country's mortality rate is only 0.83%, much lower than the global average 3, 6% and is the country with the lowest mortality rate among 4 major epidemic regions in the world.

According to experts, extensive testing will detect cases of mild or no symptoms, increasing the total number of cases. However, it also helps in early detection of cases, leading to early treatment and reduced mortality.

Moreover, the proportion of the population infected in this country is very special: most are women and almost half are under 40 years old. Officials explain that more than 60% of positive cases in South Korea are related to the New Heavenly sect, with most members being women and many people in their 20s or 30s. Meanwhile, global data show that older people, especially men, are more likely to die from nCoV.

The question is whether other countries should learn from the Korean anti-epidemic model. Japan, which recorded more than 600 cases with 7 deaths (excluding Diamond Princess yacht), did not conduct extensive testing. Masahiro Kami, head of the Tokyo-based Institute for Health Management, said Japan could learn how to respond to South Korea.

"Testing is an important first step to control the virus," Kami said. "It's a good model for every country."

South Korea has "acted strongly and quickly", in contrast to the Italian approach, said Marylouise McLaws from the University of New South Wales. She assessed that Covid-19 in Italy could proceed in a completely different direction if preventive measures were applied earlier.

Italy on 9/3 issued a national blockade order when it recorded more than 9,000 cases. The number of infections in the country as of 12/3 is more than 12,000 people, more than 800 deaths. "The government is awkward, hesitant to make strong decisions. Therefore, measures are often taken late," she said.