• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 2021

School closures during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been outlined in studies from different disciplines, including economics, sociology, mathematical modeling, epidemiology, and public health. In this review, we discuss the implications of school closures in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Modeling studies of the effects of school closures, largely derived from the pandemic influenza model, on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 produced conflicting results. Earlier studies assessed the risk of school reopening by modeling transmission across schools and communities; however, it remains unclear whether the risk is due to increased transmission in adults or children. The empirical findings of the impact of school closures on COVID-19 outbreaks suggest no clear effect, likely because of heterogeneity in community infection pressure, differences in school closure strategies, or the use of multiple interventions. The benefits of school closings are unclear and not readily quantifiable; however, they must be weighed against the potential high social costs, which can also negatively affect the health of this generation.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.29-34
• /
• 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was a global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still a serious public health problem. COVID-19 causes various symptoms not only in the respiratory system but also in various parts of the body and has a significant effect on sleep. Insomnia and poor sleep quality were observed at high rates in patients with COVID-19 as well as in the uninfected general population. Obstructive sleep apnea is also considered a risk factor in patients with severe COVID-19. Virus-induced central nervous system damage is likely to be the cause of many sleep disorders in COVID-19, but psychosocial influences also seem to have played a significant role. Sleep problems persisted at high rates for a considerable period after the infection phase was over. More attention and research on the effect of COVID-19 on sleep is needed in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.412-422
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study is aimed at preparing basic data to increase professionalism in nursing and effective counter-strategies against future infectious diseases. For that purpose, this study investigated the experiences of nurses in a general hospital with an 800-bed size, temporarily closed after a confirmed case of COVID-19. Methods: This study was a qualitative study using individual in-depth interviews, and data were collected from 10 nurses in a university hospital temporarily closed from May 1 to June 13, 2020. Results: As a result of this study, the subjects were classified into 'COVID-19 and nursing', 'nursing work and vocation' and 'life changed with COVID-19'. Conclusion: In conclusion, there is a need for education that nurtures the ability of nurses to screen patients with infectious diseases well and to skillfully wear and remove protective clothing. In addition, in order to cultivate the expertise of nurses and respond efficiently to infectious diseases, a separate compensation, such as a risk allowance, is required along with the establishment of an infrastructure that fully supports personnel and supplies. A mental health program to relieve stress is also required.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.25 no.11
• /
• pp.179-185
• /
• 2020

In this paper, we propose impact factors and validity of blood variables on death of COVID-19 patients. The clinical-epidemiological data of 5628 COVID-19 patients, provided from Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency as day of 30th April 2020, were used. As results, impact factors of death were dementia, older age, high lymphocyte, cancer, dyspnea, COPD, change of consciousness, heart disease, high platelets, abnormal diastolic pressure and fever. The validities of blood variables for death were high in the order of lymphocyte, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet and WBC. Therefore, risk factors such as initial clinical characteristics, underlying disease and blood test results, could be regarded for efficient management of COVID-19 patients.

• Convergence Security Journal
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.25-31
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study was to keep the Security Control Center, which operates under a shift system, uninterrupted during the COVID-19 virus epidemic. Security facilities responding to cybersecurity threats are essential security facilities that must be operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a day in real time, and are critical to security operations and management. If security facilities such as infectious disease epidemic, system failure, and physical impact are closed or affected, they cannot respond to real-time cyberattacks and can be fatal to security issues. Recently, there have been cases in which security system facilities cannot be operated, such as the closure of facilities due to the COVID-19 virus epidemic and the availability of security systems due to the rainy season, and other cases need to be prepared. In this paper, we propose a plan to configure a security system facility as a multiplexing facility and operate it as an alternative in the event of a closed situation.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.94-101
• /
• 2024

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a significant burden to infant and toddler's care globally, while the disease severity is generally mild in this age group. In this study, we aimed to assess epidemiological and clinical aspects of COVID-19 in infants and toddlers in Seoul, South Korea. Methods: We used Seoul Metropolitan Government's epidemiological investigation database to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in infants and toddlers, between March 2020 to December 2021. Results: A total of 5,025 infants and toddlers aged <5 years was diagnosed between the observed period. 2,720 (54.1%) had symptoms, and fever was the most common symptom in 1,941 (74.1%). Of the diagnosed cases, 96.4% did not have underlying diseases. In a district level, extended opening of childcare facility was associated with increased risk of COVID-19 in infants and toddlers. Conclusions: An efficient monitoring system, resembling routine clinical care, is crucial, considering the low rates of severe progression and fatality among infants and toddlers. Moreover, a well-grounded intervention based on scientific evidence, rather than unconditional closures, is necessary to establish a suitable childcare policy that ensures safety from infectious diseases while not overlooking the developmental aspects of social skills.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.278-295
• /
• 2021

China's shutdown due to COVID-19 in 2020 reduced air pollutant emissions, which is located on the windward side of South Korea. The positive temperature anomaly and negative zonal wind anomaly from northern Mongolia to South Korea through eastern China presented warm and stationary air masses during January and February 2020. Decreased concentrations of PM10, NO₂, and O₃ were measured at Seokmo-ri and Pado-ri, located in the central-western region of South Korea, due to decreased emissions in China from January to March 2020. After China's shutdown from January to March 2020, in Pado-ri, the ratio of monthly average concentrations in that period with those of PM10 and O₃ in the last four years decreased by approximately 0.7-4.7% and 9.2-22.8%, respectively. In January 2020, during the Lunar New Year holidays in China, concentrations of PM10, NO₂, and O₃ at Seokmo-ri and Pado-ri decreased just as much as it did during the same period in the last four years. However, average concentrations in January 2020 decreased before and after the Lunar New Year holidays in China when compared with those in January of the last four years. In Seokmori, ratios of actual and predicted values (${\bar{O}_s$/M) for PM10, NO₂, and O₃ concentrations were calculated as 70.8 to 89.7%, 70.5 to 87.1%, and 72.5 to 97.1%, respectively, during January and March 2020. Moreover, those of Pado-ri were 79.6 to 93.5%, 67.7 to 84.9%, and 83.7 to 94.6%, respectively. In January 2020, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) data showed a higher distribution than that of the last four years due to photochemical reactions in regions from northern Mongolia to eastern China and the Korean Peninsula. However, the decrease in AOD values compared with those of the last four years was attributed to the decrease in emissions of precursors that generate secondary aerosols in China during March 2020.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.11-21
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study is to explore and analyze how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the reporting practices and news production of the reporters working with Korean media over the past one year. To this end, this study has conducted in-depth interviews with reporters working with daily newspapers, news agencies, and broadcasting companies. The analysis of the interviews resulted in the following generalizations. The reporters are working at home, which was never experienced before the Covid-19 pandemic, and they have difficulties in covering their reporting beats because they have little or no access to contact points. The reporters rely heavily on indirect coverage and online briefings via phones or SNS because they have difficulties in meeting news sources in person. As a result, the diversity of news contents and the media's on-site monitoring functions has been severely weakened. In addition, the reporters have no chances to both exchange ideas with fellow reporters and to transfer the know-how of collecting news items to their juniors. This paper has also discussed the disruption of practices that the ongoing Covid-19 has brought to the media ecosystem from a variety of perspectives.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.149-157
• /
• 2021

One year has passed since the pandemic of COVID-19, which occurred in Wuhan, China, in November 2019 began. Worldwide, as of January 2021, more than 95 million people have been infected, and the death toll is higher than 2 million. In Korea, there are 74,262 infected and 1,328 dead, and government policies such as social distancing to prevent infection are being implemented. Accordingly, many inconveniences occurred in the physical activity environment, such as the closure of various sports facilities. It was necessary to consider physical activities to maintain healthy life while cooperating with the national policy while preventing infection. This study investigated the benefits of physical activity to reduce the risk of trichomoniasis and diabetes, improve bone mineral density, prolong healthy lifespan, maintain activity performance with aging, and improve psychological anxiety and depression. In addition, the physiological changes that may occur in the situation of stopping exercise due to social distancing to prevent COVID-19 infection were reviewed. In addition, moderate-intensity exercise that helps strengthen immune function by activating natural killer cells, neutrophils, and antibody responses was investigated. In addition, it reduces the level and function of blood B-cells, T-cells, and natural killer cells for several hours, decreases phagocytosis of neutrophils in the nasal cavity, increases inflammatory cytokines, decreases immune function, and increases infection. High-intensity exercise was considered. Therefore, in the age of COVID-19, long-term high-intensity exercise such as marathon, which causes impaired immune function, should be refrained from. And you should do moderate-intensity regular aerobic exercise such as fast walking to help prevent infection. It is also recommended to participate in resistance exercises to prevent loss of muscle mass.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.155-164
• /
• 2021

The major factors that threaten port operation are diversie. Coronavirus disease-19, (COVID-19), which has recently disrupted operations worldwide, is one of them. Port operation was completely stopped due to a confirmed coronavirus involving a Russian sailor in Gamcheon Port, Busan, Korea in 2020, resulting port closure due to the infectious disease outbreak. The port is a national infrastructure facility that controls most of Korea's import and export logistics, and it is absolutely necessary to secure resilience against threats such as infectious diseases. However, due to insufficient data, this study was undertaken to determine a cause-effect relationship of infectious diseases during the container port operation using system dynamics. In addition, the port's resilience against infectious diseases was measured in terms of productivity and cargo volume through simulation. The model built via simulation analysis can actually be used to measure the resilience of a port. In the event of an infectious disease outbreak at a port, a quarantine policy scenario can be implemented and the effect compared, thereby improving the resilience.