• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.87-95
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• 2022

Currently, droplet protective screens (DPSs) are used to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. As virus particles can maintain their infective in indoor environments, recent studies have investigated the risk of airborne transmission. However, the ability of DPSs to block airborne transmission has not been verified yet. In this study, the preventive ability of DPSs against droplet and airborne transmission was evaluated. Moreover, the effectiveness of a Portable air purifier (PAP) was investigated. According to results, in a simulated room where an infectious person spoke, the DPS blocked more than 90% of the micron-sized droplets (with a diameter larger than 1 ㎛) transmitted to the front of the infectious person. However, sub-micron droplets (with a diameter smaller than 1 ㎛) passed through the DPS and spread in a room. However, the PAP reduced the amount of both micron and sub-micron droplets transmitted to the front of the infectious person. When the PAP airflow direction was set from the DPS surface to the free space near the infectious person, improved prevention against droplet and airborne transmission was recorded. However, airborne transmission was accelerated when the PAP airflow direction was set from the free space to the DPS surface.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.115-123
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• 2017

Recently there is a growing interest in the airborne spread of virus. In particular, there is growing interest in secondary infection through the air in the hospital. The distribution of air-born virus depends on ventilation system installed in a hospital. In this study, simulations were carried out to predict the move of air-born virus by ventilation system at hospital. Simulation results showed that pressure distribution was -372.05Pa ~ -3.45 Pa at 1st floor incase of only used mechanical exhaust at bathroom, shower stall, storage, kitchen etc.. if ventilation switch from used mechanical exhaust to mechanical exhaust & mechanical supply. Simulation results showed that pressure distribution was -336.44Pa at stair hall < -0.2Pa at bathroom < mean 1.19Pa at other room. So simulation results showed that using all of the mechanical supply and mechanical exhaust was more effective then the mechanical exhaust for maintain the pressure distribution in hospital. It was also showed that when using the mechanical supply and mechanical exhaust more effectively prevention of air born virus diffusion.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

Respiratory face masks are protective facepieces that are designed to filter inhaled air. They are easy-to-use devices that can protect the wearer against various hazardous particles in the air. Respiratory face masks also prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria-containing droplets that are released from the coughing or sneezing of the infected people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, various types of face masks have circulated on the market. Their ability to filter sub-micron particles, which are the sizes of harmful particulate matter and airborne viruses, needs to be investigated. Their breathability, the easiness of breath through the mask, also needs to be considered. In this study, wwe evaluated the performance of filters used for different types of face masks certified by different standards including Korean (KF94, KF80, KF-AD), USA (N95), and Chinese (KN95) standards. We also tested the filters of nanofiber masks and surgical masks for which there are no standards for filtration test. The N95 mask filters showed the highest quality factor for capturing virus-sized particles. The other types of mask filters have acceptable performance except for nanofiber mask filters whose performance is very low.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.363-370
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• 2023

Human respiratory viral infections such as COVID-19 are highly contagious, so continuous management of airborne viruses is essential. In particular, indoor air monitoring is necessary because the risk of infection increases in poorly ventilated indoors. However, the current method of detecting airborne viruses requires a lot of time from sample collection to confirmation of results. In this study, we proposed a system that can monitor airborne viruses in real time to solve the deficiency of the present method. Air samples were collected in liquid form through a bio sampler, in which case the virus is present in low concentrations. To detect viruses from low-concentration samples, viral RNA was concentrated and extracted using silica-magnetic beads. RNA binds to silica under certain conditions, and by repeating this binding reaction, bulk samples collected from the air can be concentrated. After concentration and extraction, viral RNA is specifically detected through real-time qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction). In addition, based on liquid handling technology, we have developed an automatic machine that automatically performs the entire testing process and can be easily used even by non-experts. To evaluate the system, we performed air sample collection and automated testing using bacteriophage MS2 as a model virus. As a result, the air-collected samples concentrated by 45 times then initial volume, and the detection sensitivity of PCR also confirmed a corresponding improvement.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.89-96
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• 2011

The objective of this study is to evaluate reduction efficiency of various air purifiers on airborne microorganism causing air infected animal disease according to sample collection method. Collection efficiencies of MS2 virus and Pseudomonas fluorescens by biosampler was significantly higher than those by button sampler (p<0.05). Regardless of types of air purifier and sample collection method, temporal reduction efficiencies of MS2 virus and P. fluorescens compared to initial background concentration were >50% and >45% on 5 minutes, >70% and >50% on 15 minutes, >80% and >70% on 30 minutes and >90% and >75% on 60 minutes after operating air purifier, respectively. The air purifier of ionizer type showed the highest reduction efficiency on MS2 virus followed by air purifier of electronic precipitation, water filter and dry filter while the reduction efficiency of air purifier on P. fluorescens was highest in the electronic precipitation type followed by ionizer type, dry filter type and water filter type (p<0.05). Based on the results obtained from this study, temporal reduction efficiency of air purifier on MS2 virus was relatively higher than P. fluorescens.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.9.1-9.8
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• 2021

The most important characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission that makes it difficult to control are 1) asymptomatic and presymptomatic transmission, 2) low incidence or lack of dominant systemic symptoms such as fever, 3) airborne transmission that may need a high infectious dose, and 4) super-spread events (SSEs). Patients with COVID-19 have high viral loads at symptom onset or even a few days prior to symptom onset, and most patients with COVID-19 have only mild respiratory symptoms or merely pauci-/null-symptoms. These characteristics of the virus enable it to easily spread to the community because most patients are unaware of their potential infectivity, and symptom-based control measures cannot prevent this type of transmission. Furthermore, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is also capable of airborne transmission in conditions such as aerosol-generating procedures, under-ventilated indoor spaces, and over-crowded areas. In this context, universal mask-wearing is important to prevent both outward and inward transmission until an adequate degree of herd immunity is achieved through vaccination. Lastly, the SSEs of SARS-CoV-2 transmission emphasize the importance of reducing contacts by limiting social gatherings. The above-mentioned transmission characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 have culminated in the failure of long-lasting quarantine measures, and indicate that only highly effective vaccines can keep the communities safe from this deadly, multifaceted virus.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.173-182
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• 2019

Since airborne viruses have been known to aggravate indoor air quality, studies on the development of anti-viral air filter increase recently. In this study, the pressure drop and anti-viral efficiency of TiO₂ coated ceramic ball filter were evaluated. After the filter being inserted into a commercial room air cleaner, chamber test with aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 was performed. The porosity of TiO₂ coated ceramic ball filter was 0.85, and pressure drop was about 13 Pa for 1 m/s of air velocity. The anti-viral efficiency was about 93% when the reaction time was 25 minutes in a 1 ㎥ chamber.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.242-248
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• 2013

Varicella (chickenpox) is a highly contagious airborne disease caused by primary infection with the varicella zoster virus (VZV). Following the resolution of chickenpox, the virus can remain dormant in the dorsal sensory and cranial ganglion for decades. Shingles (herpes zoster [HZ]) is a neurocutaneous disease caused by reactivation of latent VZV and may progress to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is characterized by dermatomal pain persisting for more than 120 days after the onset of HZ rash, or "well-established PHN", which persist for more than 180 days. Vaccination with an attenuated form of VZV activates specific T-cell production, thereby avoiding viral reactivation and development of HZ. It has been demonstrated to reduce the occurrence by approximately 50-70%, the duration of pain of HZ, and the frequency of subsequent PHN in individuals aged ${\geq}50$ years in clinical studies. However, it has not proved efficacious in preventing repeat episodes of HZ and reducing the severity of PHN, nor has its long-term efficacy been demonstrated. The most frequent adverse reactions reported for HZ vaccination were injection site pain and/or swelling and headache. In addition, it should not be administrated to children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised persons or those allergic to neomycin or any component of the vaccine.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.37-44
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• 2023

Purpose: Currently, research on environmental conditions and finishing materials for medical facilities with proven antiviral performance is poor in Korea. Through this study, we have explored environmental characteristics and finishing materials that can be used to control cross-infection when constructing medical facilities. Methods: Experiments in overseas papers related to antiviral effects of environmental conditions, spatial compartments, and interior finishes have been analyzed. Results: The higher the temperature, the higher the humidity, and the higher the illuminance of sunlight, the lower the viability of the corona-virus. The proliferation of viruses was suppressed on the surface of the copper alloy. Materials such as brushed steel are the ones that maintain the strongest viability. Among the characteristics of the surface, survival and propagation power differ depending on whether it is porous or hydrophilic. In the case of infection ward actually operated in Italy, the presence of airborne viruses in contaminated and non-contaminated spaces differed significantly. Corona-virus has been identified in reachable parts such as door handles and medical shelves in quasi-contaminated spaces, which are spaces between contaminated and non-contaminated spaces, but the corona-virus has not been identified in cases of out-of-touch walls. Implications: It is necessary to evaluate the performance by testing the construction finishing materials of infection control facilities according to domestic conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2017.04a
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• pp.31-31
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• 2017

On farm evaluation for the control of airborne diseases like FMD and flu virus has been done in past but control of disease in process of transportation of livestock and manures is still needed. The objective of this study was to predict a common pattern of livestock vehicles movement. The analysis were done on GPS data, collected from drivers of livestock vehicles in Jeju Island, South Korea in year 2012 and 2013. The GPS data include the coordinates of moving vehicles according to time and dates, livestock farms and manure keeping sites. 2012 year data was added to ArcGIS and different tools were used for predicting common vehicle moving pattern. The common pattern of year 2012 were determined and considered as predicted common pattern for year 2013. To compare with actual pattern of year 2013 the same analysis was done to find the difference in 2012 and 2013 pattern. When the manure keeping sites and livestock farms were same in both years, as a result common pattern of 2012 and 2013 were similar but difference were found in patterns when the manure keeping sites and livestock farms were changed. In future for more accurate results and to predict the accurate pattern of vehicles movement, more dependent and independent variables will be required to make a suitable model for prediction.