 With 335,377 cases worldwide, the coronavirus has been a deadly disease. Of the 112,205 cases that have had an outcome, 14,611 of those have ended in death, leading to a 13% mortality rate among closed cases. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus, or COVID-19, as a worldwide pandemic. In the beginning, one of the countries that was hit the hardest by the pandemic was South Korea. When the coronavirus first hit the shores of South Korea, the government and health officials immediately were on top of everything. Without missing a step, as the first 30 patients were found to be infected, they were quarantined and immediately sent to isolation. And despite their close proximity to China, Korea had some of the most amazing efforts with the virus, keeping it almost 100% contained. It seemed as if the coronavirus was just a small hiccup in Korean history. Or so, it seemed. Until the infamous Patient 31 came into the picture, the woman that almost single-handedly infected Korea. February 7, 2020, a 61-year-old woman from Taegu, who will hereby be referred to as Patient 31, was admitted into the Serunan Oriental Hospital due to a minor traffic accident. While she was at the hospital, she developed a fever and sore throat. The doctors urged her to get tested due to a high fever. However, she refused to get tested because she had it travel internationally and thought she just picked up the common cold. Instead, she went to a buffet with a friend at a hotel. But a buffet doesn't seem that bad. How many people could she possibly come in contact with? Well, on February 9 and again on February 16, Patient 31 attended church services at the Taegu branch of the Sinchonji Church of Jesus. 9,300 people attended those two sessions of church at the Sinchonji Church of Jesus. As the days advanced, Patient 31's symptoms worsened. The doctors once again urged her to get tested. February 17, 2020, Patient 31 finally entered the hospital to get tested. The result? Positive. Patient 31 became the 31st confirmed case of COVID-19 in South Korea. South Korea has reported another case of the coronavirus today, bringing the total now to 31. After Patient 31 was confirmed to carry the virus, 1,261 churchgoers at the Sinchonji Church of Jesus complained of flu-like symptoms. Later, hundreds of them were confirmed to carry COVID-19. South Korea has declared two areas of the country to be under special management as 100 new infections of COVID-19 are confirmed. The nationwide total is now 204, and most are members of a religious sect. It was estimated that Patient 31 came into contact with 1,160 people before being confirmed. One of which was another member of the church who attended a funeral service at a hospital in Jeon-dong, a nearby county which authorities suggested there could be a link from Patient 31 to the cases in Jeon-dong. The virus began to spread rapidly. From February 26, just nine days after Patient 31 was confirmed to carry COVID-19, the number of infected skyrocketed from 30 to 1,261. It is now estimated that the cases from Taegu and Jeon-dong account for 80% of the entire country of South Korea and think it all just started from one person. So just how did the virus spread so fast? Her two sessions of worship at the Sinchonji Church of Jesus were attended by 9,300 people. Since getting her start in 1984, the church has always been seen as a controversial organization in the media and in Korea, even being accused of being a cult. The founder, Lee Man-hee, as his followers believe, is the successor to Jesus Christ himself. It is believed that the Holy Bible is written in secret metaphors, which only Lee himself can correctly interpret. And when the day of judgment shall come, Lee will take 144,000 adherents to heaven, after which they will enjoy eternal life. Now, whether people believe that they are a cult or not is irrelevant. Instead, we need to understand their method of worship. A former member of the Sinchonji Church stated, Unlike other churches, Sinchonji makes its members sit on the floor tightly together during services. In neat military-like ranks and files, we're not supposed to have anything on our faces, like glasses or masks. We were trained to sing our hymns loudly. We were taught not to be afraid of illness. We were taught not to care about such worldly things like jobs, ambition or passion. Everything was focused on proselyting, even when we were sick. It's reported that getting sick is a sin because it prevents them from doing God's work, which may explain why Patient 31 was hesitant at first to get tested or even acknowledged that she was sick in the first place. This environment makes a perfect breeding ground for the coronavirus. All 230,000 members of the church had been interviewed. Nearly 9,000 of them said that they were showing symptoms of the coronavirus. The Seoul City government filed a legal complaint to the prosecutors against the 12 leaders of the sect, including Lee Man-hee himself. They were accused of homicide, causing harm and violating the Infectious Disease and Control Act. Lee Man-hee himself acknowledged the church's role in the spread of the virus. In a press conference, the self-proclaimed Messiah dropped to his knees as he apologized. In Korea, there's been a total of 8,897 cases with 104 deaths. However, Korea has since done an amazing job containing the virus. With the spread of the disease slowing down significantly. Compare the progress of the disease in Korea to the worldwide growth. The difference being significant. This is in part due to their efforts in testing and diagnostic capacity. Additionally, the community has strongly banded together in defeating this disease. High-profile figures like Ms. A. Suzy, Red Velvet's Irene, BTS's Suga and Big Bang's T.O.P have donated 100 million won each to this cause. With soloist IU even donating 185 million won. Not to mention, of course, the thousands of healthcare professionals and government officials who have done an amazing job so far. Now, Patient 31 was a curious case and although she played an important factor to the spread of the disease, there were many other factors. Instead, let her story be a testament to the importance of social distance and quarantine. A testament to just how one person, you, can make a difference. As long as you play your part.