S. Korea, U.S. health agency heads to enhance cooperation in pandemic fight

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- The heads of the infectious disease agencies from South Korea and the United States have discussed ways to cooperate in developing vaccines and treatment for the novel coronavirus, health authorities here said Wednesday. The discussion was made through an online conference between Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Tuesday, the KDCA said The two sides agreed to exchange various data and information related to core technology behind developing COVID-19 vaccines by U.S. biotech companies Moderna and Pfizer. The KDCA said the two countries also vowed to enhance cooperation in the fight against the disease, sharing their experiences in development of diagnostic kits and human resources. Fauci, considered one of the world's most respected infectious disease experts, has been spearheading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The KDCA said Fauci complimented Seoul health authorities' efforts in detecting asymptomatic coronavirus cases at temporary screening facilities. South Korea added 1,050 more COVID-19 cases Wednesday, staying above 1,000 for the second straight day. The total caseload was increased to 59,773, the KDCA said. khj@yna.co.kr (END)