A screenshot of the virus-tracking map Corona Map on Feb. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Online maps that show how the new coronavirus has spread across the country have gone viral as South Koreans try to avoid the potentially fatal virus.
Corona Map (http://coronamap.site/), a site built by a Kyunghee University student, is one of them.
The site shows the latest figures of confirmed and suspected cases. Different colored-circles and lines that indicate the 15 people who have been diagnosed with the virus, show how they have traveled throughout the country.
The map, which first opened on Jan. 30 when the country had confirmed six confirmed cases, has attracted nearly 8 million visits in the first five days of its launch, student developer Lee Dong-hoon said in a radio interview with broadcaster MBC.
A screenshot of location-based virus-tracking map Corona Nearby on Feb. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
Corona Nearby (https://corona-nearby.com/) is another map that is gaining popularity.
The map, developed by four students at Korea University, has a more user-friendly interface that allows users to enter their location and see affected venues in the vicinity.
By shifting mode, users can also see the information of hospitals and health centers that potential patients can visit.
A real-time board that curates a variety of information related to the new coronavirus is also trending. The site uses the domain Wuhanvirus.kr, referring to the central Chinese city where the virus first emerged.
Using government and academic data from South Korea, China and the United States, as well as the World Health Organization, the site displays suspected and confirmed cases locally and globally.
Also included on the website are detailed routes of the confirmed patients, as well as the latest news and YouTube videos on the outbreak.
It also compares figures from the new coronavirus outbreak to other contagious diseases, such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
As of Tuesday, South Korea has confirmed 16 cases of the novel coronavirus since reporting its first case on Jan. 20.
It is checking 129 people for the contagious virus and monitoring 1,318.
As part of measures to curb the potentially fatal disease, the government has launched an entry ban on all foreigners who have visited Hubei Province since Jan. 21.
People who have symptoms of the new coronavirus can call 1339, a service run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Korea. Translation services are provided.
Foreign nationals in the country can also call 1345 any time of day for general inquiries related to the virus.
(Yonhap)
