‘More scary than coronavirus’: South Korea’s health alerts expose private lives

‘Safety guidance texts’ sent by the authorities contain an avalanche of personal information and are fuelling social stigma

• Coronavirus latest updates

As the number of coronavirus cases in South Korea exceeded 6,000 this week, there was a rise, too, in complaints about information overload in the form of emergency virus text alerts that have included embarrassing revelations about infected people’s private lives.

Health authorities and district offices across the country are sending “safety guidance texts” from early morning to late at night, reminding people to wash their hands thoroughly and not to touch their faces with unwashed hands.

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