South Koreans turn to telemedicine amid Covid as President-elect Yoon backs practice


People wearing masks walk in a shopping district amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in Seoul, South Korea. — Reuters

SEOUL: Kim Jin-woo, a 27-year old resident of Seoul battling Covid-19 and recovering at home under a new government policy, needed to see a doctor when his symptoms did not improve, but the nearest designated hospital was fully booked. So he picked up his phone.

Like Kim, many have turned to telemedicine in South Korea in recent weeks as access to in-person options have been hit after authorities said they would only provide care to Covid patients aged 60 and above amid record high Omicron cases and prescribed home care for those with mild symptoms.

The Star 6.6 DEAL: 35% OFF Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 9.04/month

Billed as RM 9.04 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

Mag 7? MANGOS? SpaceX forces name rethink on Wall Street's tech-stock moniker
A Chinese robotics start-up beat Nvidia on a global AI ranking. Is a new tech war brewing?
Should I track my sleep? Here are the pros and cons
For this James Bond, the freedom is not enough
The rise of digital love: Does AI make better partners than humans?
OpenAI under investigation by group of state attorneys general, source says
Anthropic disables top-tier AI models after US order limiting foreign access
Zuckerberg says Meta made 'mistakes' in AI workforce shift
Roku exploring strategic options, including sale of company, sources say
Microsoft has considered spinning off Xbox, the Information reports

Others Also Read