• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.86-95
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to investigate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the development of major mental disorders in patients visiting a university hospital. Methods: The study participants were patients with COVID-19 (n=5,006) and those without COVID-19 (n=367,162) registered in the database of Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital and standardized with the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model. Data on major mental disorders that developed in both groups over the 5-year follow-up period were extracted using the FeederNet computer program. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the incidence of major mental disorders. Results: The incidences of dementia and sleep, anxiety, and depressive disorders were significantly higher in the COVID-19 group than in the control group. The incidence rates per 1,000 patient years in the COVID-19 group vs. the control group were 12.71 vs. 3.76 for dementia, 17.42 vs. 7.91 for sleep disorders, 6.15 vs. 3.41 for anxiety disorders, and 8.30 vs. 5.78 for depressive disorders. There was no significant difference in the incidence of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder between the two groups. COVID-19 infection increased the risk of mental disorders in the following order: dementia (HR, 3.49; 95% CI, 2.45-4.98), sleep disorders (HR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.76-2.91), anxiety disorders (HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.25-2.84), and depressive disorders (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.09-2.15). Conclusion: This study showed that the major mental disorders associated with COVID-19 were dementia and sleep, anxiety, and depressive disorders.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

COVID-19 has caused extensive human casualties with significant economic impacts around the globe, and has imposed new challenges on health systems worldwide. Over the past decade, SARS, Ebola, and Zika also led to significant concerns among the scientific community. Interestingly, the SARS and Zika epidemics ended before vaccine development; however, the scholarly community and the pharmaceutical companies responded very quickly at that time. Similarly, when the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 was revealed, global vaccine companies and scientists have stepped forward to develop a vaccine, triggering a race toward vaccine development that the whole world is relying on. Similarly, an effective and safe vaccine could play a pivotal role in eradicating COVID-19. However, few important questions regarding SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development are explored in this review.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제54권6호
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• pp.422-430
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• 2021

Objectives: Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to respiratory infections such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but insufficient research has investigated pregnancy and its outcomes in women with COVID-19. This cross-sectional study compared birth outcomes related to COVID-19 between Bangladeshi pregnant women with and without COVID-19. Methods: The study was conducted at 3 tertiary referral hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from March to August 2020. Pregnant women admitted for delivery at these hospitals with laboratory results (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) were analyzed. Using convenience sampling, we included 70 COVID-19-positive and 140 COVID-19-negative pregnant women. Trained and experienced midwives conducted the interviews. Data were analyzed using the t-test, the chi-square test, and univariate and multivariable linear and logistic regression. Results: Pregnant women with COVID-19 were more likely to give birth to a preterm baby (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 4.37) and undergo a cesarean section (aOR, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.51 to 7.07). There were no significant differences in birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, and the Apgar score at 1 minute or 5 minutes post-delivery between women with and without COVID-19. All the newborn babies who were born to COVID-19-positive women were COVID-19-negative. Conclusions: Our study suggests that pregnant women with COVID-19 were more likely to give birth to a preterm baby and undergo a cesarean section. For this reason, physicians should be particularly cautious to minimize adverse birth outcomes among pregnant women with COVID-19 and their newborn babies.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.113-121
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• 2024

Since its outbreak in late 2019, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly caused global morbidity and deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has major complications in cardiovascular and pulmonary system. The increased rate of mortality is due to delayed detection of certain biomarkers that are crucial in the development of disease. Furthermore, certain proteins and enzymes in cellular signaling pathways play an important role in replication of SARS-CoV-2. Most cases are mild to moderate symptoms, however severe cases of COVID-19 leads to death. Detecting the level of biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, cardiac troponin, creatine kinase, creatine kinaseMB, procalcitonin and Matrix metalloproteinases helps in early detection of the severity of disease. Similarly, through downregulating Renin-angiotensin system, interleukin, Mitogen-activated protein kinases and Phosphoinositide 3-kinases pathways, COVID-19 can be effectively controlled and mortality could be prevented. Ginseng and ginsenosides possess therapeutic potential in cardiac and pulmonary complications, there are several studies performed in which they have suppressed these biomarkers and downregulated the pathways, thereby inhibiting the further spread of disease. Supplementation with ginseng or ginsenoside could act on multiple pathways to reduce the level of biomarkers significantly and alleviate cardiac and pulmonary damage. Therefore, this review summarizes the potential of ginseng extract and ginsenosides in controlling the cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases by COVID-19.

• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.106-132
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• 2020

This study intends to add a factor to the discussion on the sectoral systems of innovation through Korea's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Korean approach is summarized as follows: the first response centers on technology and innovation. These include the development of diagnostic test methods and accurate test kits, first in the world, the use of ICT technology in epidemiological investigations, the technical response in the field, and the competitive edge in the development of medicine and vaccines that were behind the developed countries. The second response is an aggressive effort implemented just after the Chinese announcement, before the domestic outbreak; the third response is the open policy that induces voluntary participation of all subjects and people by opening all information. More important is the leadership at the national level shown in the past Korean experience and most advanced countries. National leadership must be the missing factor.

• 항공우주의학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.1-3
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• 2021

In Vol. 31, No. 1, our journal prepared four review articles and two original papers. First, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of our journal, the first review article described the history, development, and recent efforts for the qualitative improvement of the journal. For aviation workers, dizziness is an important disease that can interfere with their work. So, in the second review, we introduced guidelines that aviation medical examiners should be aware of in evaluating aviation workers who complain of dizziness. In the era of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is very important for aviation workers to get the vaccination safely and return to their work. So, Kwon introduced the latest updated guidelines for vaccination for aviation workers. In addition, Kim described the relationship between COVID-19 infection and respiratory allergic disease, and appropriate treatment guidelines. Lim investigated the recent trend of human papillomavirus vaccination for foreigners during the COVID-19 period, and investigated its implications. Finally, Ra developed various programs to strengthen students' global competencies and analyzed their satisfaction.

• 대한통합의학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.109-121
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• 2021

Purpose : The first case of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) disease outbreak in Korea occurred in January 2020, and the cumulative number of confirmed cases by the Central Defense Response Headquarters of the Quality Management Administration as of November 30 was 34,201. Looking at the incidence trend of domestic confirmed cases by age, the incidence rate of COVID-19 in the age group of 20-29 years, which corresponds to college students, was 27.4 %, the highest compared by age group. Considering the current status of the infection rate, universities will become the centers of new COVID-19 cases if face-to-face lectures are recommenced without preparatory measures and analysis of infection prevention (e.g., infection awareness and education for university students). Thus, this study intended to investigate the level of knowledge, educational needs, and preventive behavior performance of college students about COVID-19 and provide basic data for the development of an education program for the prevention of COVID-19 for college students. Methods : This study is a descriptive correlational study aimed to investigate the correlation between knowledge about COVID-19, educational needs, and degree of preventive behavior performance in 407 college students attending one University in Gyeonggi-do. Results : The subjects' knowledge score about COVID-19 was 12.46±1.39 points, average educational needs score was 29.16±3.14 points, and prevention behavior performance survey result was 35.50±3.61 points. Moreover, positive correlation was observed between the knowledge about COVID-19 and educational needs (r=.203, p<.001) and knowledge and preventive behavior performance (r=.140, p=.005). Further, educational needs and preventive behavior performance demonstrated a statistically significant positive relationship (r=.311, p<.001). Conclusion : Therefore, organizing an educational program to acquire accurate knowledge is necessary to make it a habit for college students to practice preventive behavior against COVID-19.

• 대한한의학원전학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.1-32
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• 2022

Objectives : This paper examines major symptoms representation in COVID-19 patients as groundwork for development of an effective clinical data collection format in Korean Medicine. Methods : Major symptoms representation in COVID-19 related papers published worldwide were collected. Corresponding symptoms in Korean Medicine were then examined, followed by discussion of symptomatic features that require further consideration in regards to a more systematic clinical data collection. Results : Of 256 papers, most papers listed fever and cough while symptoms such as difficulty breathing, diarrhea, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, chest pain, phlegm, nasal discharge were also mostly listed. Clinical representations could be categorized into general symptoms, throat symptoms, chest symptoms, head and facial symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, musculo-skeletal and cutaneous symptoms, psychiatric symptoms and sensory problems. Conclusions : Although each clinical representation could be likened to certain clinical representations of Korean Medicine, the variety of symptoms were too limiting and lacking in detail to be applied in the pattern identification[辨證] of Korean Medicine. For effective clinical data collection and analysis in the future, symptom change according to time, comparison between location, climate and ethnicity, existence of interior symptoms when diagnosing exterior symptoms, deficiency-excessiveness of blood patterns, consciousness levels, etc., need to be considered in establishing criteria for symptom evaluation.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.362-370
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• 2023

Objective: To report the clinical and radiological characteristics of patients with underlying B-cell lymphoma and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) showing migratory airspace opacities on serial chest computed tomography (CT) with persistent COVID-19 symptoms. Materials and Methods: From January 2020 to June 2022, of the 56 patients with underlying hematologic malignancy who had undergone chest CT more than once at our hospital after acquiring COVID-19, seven adult patients (5 female; age range, 37-71 years; median age, 45 years) who showed migratory airspace opacities on chest CT were selected for the analysis of clinical and CT features. Results: All patients had been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma (three diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and four follicular lymphoma) and had received B-cell depleting chemotherapy, including rituximab, within three months prior to COVID-19 diagnosis. The patients underwent a median of 3 CT scans during the follow-up period (median 124 days). All patients showed multifocal patchy peripheral ground glass opacities (GGOs) with basal predominance in the baseline CTs. In all patients, follow-up CTs demonstrated clearing of previous airspace opacities with the development of new peripheral and peribronchial GGO and consolidation in different locations. Throughout the follow-up period, all patients demonstrated prolonged COVID-19 symptoms accompanied by positive polymerase chain reaction results from nasopharyngeal swabs, with cycle threshold values of less than 25. Conclusion: COVID-19 patients with B-cell lymphoma who had received B-cell depleting therapy and are experiencing prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistent symptoms may demonstrate migratory airspace opacities on serial CT, which could be interpreted as ongoing COVID-19 pneumonia.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제54권2호
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• pp.103-109
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• 2022

2019년 12월 중국에서 바이러스성 폐렴을 일으키는 코로나 바이러스 질병 2019 (COVID-19)가 검출돼 전 세계로 빠르게 확산되어 수백만 명의 감염자와 사망자가 발생했다. 증상이 유사한 호흡기 바이러스 가운데 경기도의료원에 입원한 환자 35명이 2020년 11월부터 2021년 1월까지 인플루엔자 바이러스(인플루엔자바이러스 A·B)에 감염된 것으로 나타났다. 이들 환자의 기록과 건강검진을 위해 병원을 찾은 환자의 기록을 비교했다. 대상 환자 군에는 COVID-19 환자 30명, 인플루엔자 환자 5명, 비 감염 환자 121명이 포함됐다. 혈액학적 기록을 활용해 입원 당일 실시한 일반 혈액 검사와 생화학 검사 결과를 분석했다. COVID-19 및 인플루엔자에 동반 감염된 환자들은 단일 COVID-19 감염 그룹보다 젖산 탈수소효소(LDH), C-반응 단백질(CRP), 백혈구(WBC) 수치가 유의미하게 높았다. 적혈구 침전률과 COVID-19 감염 환자만 있는 림프구(Lymphocyte)가 다른 그룹에 비해 증가했다. 인플루엔자 감염군은 COVID-19와 인플루엔자에 동반 감염된 환자에 비해 발열의 빈도가 빈번했다. COVID-19에 감염된 단일 환자에 비해 공동 감염 그룹에서 유의미한 임상 특이 수치가 관찰되었다. 본 연구에서 나오는 결과로 COVID-19치료제와 백신개발에 이용하기를 기대한다.