The first three months of the COVID-19 epidemic: Epidemiological evidence for two separate strains of SARS-CoV-2 viruses spreading and implications for prevention strategies

Knut M. Wittkowski

South Korea controlled the epidemic without imposing a lockdown on its people. (https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/coronavirus-cases-have-dropped-sharply-south-korea-whats-secret-its-success) and without shutting down its economy, even though the government was initially accused of complacency. (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/world/asia/coronavirus-south-korea-flatten-curve.html) People in the city of Daegu, where the Shincheonji Church has its center, were merely asked to "self-quarantine" ("voluntary lockdown") from 02-23 (the peak of the first wave). (https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-south-korea-lost-control-of-its-coronavirus-outbreak) On 02-2?,(a day before the peak of the main wave, or only three days after the turning point), the KCDC issued a nation-wide recommendation for "social distancing". (https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/blog/fighting-coronavirus-pandemic-east-asian-responses-republic-korea-mass-testing-targeted) Still, the recommended "social distancing" may have prevented herd immunity from developing, as suggested by the continuing low number of cases becoming infected (including some deaths) (Fig 13) .