• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.249-259
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• 2023

Purpose: Since patients on hemodialysis (HD) are known to be vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many studies were conducted regarding the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in HD patients in Western countries. Here, we assessed antibody response of HD patients for 6 months post-vaccination to identify the duration and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Asian population. Materials and Methods: We compared antibody response of the COVID-19 vaccine in HD patients with healthy volunteers. Patient and control groups had two doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and mRNA-1273, respectively. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) was measured before vaccination, 2 weeks after the first dose, 2 and 4 weeks, 3 and 6 months after the second dose. Neutralizing antibody was measured before vaccination and at 2 weeks, 3 and 6 months after second dose. Since the third dose was started in the middle of the study, we analyzed the effect of the third dose as well. Results: Although antibody production was weaker than the control group (n=22), the patient group (n=39) showed an increase in IgG and neutralizing antibody after two doses. And, 21/39 patients and 14/22 participants had a third dose (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 in the patient group, mRNA-1273 in the control group), and it did not affect antibody response in both group. Trend analysis showed IgG and neutralizing antibody did not decrease over time. Age, sex, and HD vintage did not affect antibody production in HD patients. Patients with higher body mass index displayed better seroresponse, while those on immunosuppressants showed poor seroresponse. Conclusion: Two doses of vaccination led to significant antibody response in HD patients, and the antibody did not wane until 6 months.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.590-604
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the safety of Korean medicine treatment in patients vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222). Methods: We investigated patients at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital who were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine between June 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021. The safety of Korean medicine treatment was evaluated by examining adverse events that occurred within seven days of vaccination, including liver function and kidney function testing, assessment of the severity of adverse events, and examination of causality to vaccines and Korean medicine treatment. Results: Eleven patients vaccinated with the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine were included. A total of 19 adverse events were reported: 15 systemic adverse events, three local adverse events, and one alanine aminotransferase increase. The most commonly reported systemic adverse events were fatigue (4 cases, 36.4%), headache (4 cases, 36.4%), and myalgia (4 cases, 36.4%). All adverse events were rated below moderate (grade 2) in severity. Systemic and local adverse events were evaluated as definitely related to vaccination and unlikely to be related to Korean medicine treatment, while alanine aminotransferase increase was evaluated as unlikely to be related to either the vaccine or Korean medicine treatment. Aspartate transaminase, Blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine were measured within the reference range after vaccination. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the severity and frequency of adverse events in patients vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine did not increase after Korean medicine treatment.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.224-231
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• 2023

Purpose: The Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines are the primary coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines in Indonesia. Antibody levels in vaccine-injected individuals will decline substantially over time, but data supporting the duration of such responses are limited. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively evaluate antibody responses resulting from the completion of Sinovac and AstraZeneca administration in Indonesian adults. Materials and Methods: Participants were divided into two groups based on their vaccine type. Both groups were then assessed on the anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor binding domain (anti-SRBD) concentrations. The anti-SRBD level was measured using Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 S assay and analyzed every month until 3 months after the second vaccination. Results: The results presented significant differences (p=0.000) in immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers among the vaccines' measurement duration, where all samples observed a decrease in IgG titers over time. The mean titer levels of anti-SRBD IgG in the group given Sinovac were high in the first month after vaccination and decreased by 55.7% in 3 months. AstraZeneca showed lesser immune response with a slower decline rate. Adverse effects following immunization (AEFI) showed that systemic reactions are the most reported in both vaccines, with a higher percentage in the second dose of AstraZeneca type vaccines. Conclusion: Sinovac induced more significant titers of anti-SRBD IgG 1 month after the second dose but generated fewer AEFIs. In contrast, AstraZeneca generated more AEFIs, in mild to moderate severity, but provided lower levels of anti-SRBD IgG.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2023

Purpose: The delay in acceptance or refusal to get vaccinated despite the availability of services is called vaccine hesitancy. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Pakistan faced consistent barriers preventing the eradication of the disease in the country. Similarly with the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic mass vaccination drives were initiated to a vaccine hesitant population. The aim of this study is to explore the prevalence and reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Pakistani population. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted during July to September 2021 using a snowball sampling technique targeting the adult population of Pakistan. The modified version of the vaccine hesitancy questionnaire related to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization Vaccine Hesitancy matrix was distributed online. Results: Out of 973 participants, 52.4% were immediately willing to take the vaccine and constituted the acceptance group whereas the remaining 47.6% who were still not sure formed the hesitant group. Support from leaders was found to be statistically significant for the difference between the hesitant and acceptance groups (p-value=0.027). Hesitant people were concerned about the effectiveness of the vaccine (60.9%) and potential side effects (57.9%) as it was not sufficiently tested prior to launch (44.7%). Age and education were significant factors affecting the acceptance of vaccination. The most trusted source of information regarding vaccination was health care workers (43.8%). Conclusion: A moderately high prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was reported in Pakistan. To overcome it, policymakers need to address the reasons for it. Leaders, celebrities, and healthcare workers can play an instrumental role in dispelling conspiracy theories regarding vaccines and making the vaccination drive a success.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.117-148
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• 2022

The full impact of COVID-19 has yet to be felt: while it may not define the new decade, it is clear that its immediate significance was to test many of the basic operating assumptions and procedures of global civilization. Even as vaccines are developed and utilized and even as it is possible to see the beginning of the end of COVID-19 as a discrete historical event, it remains unclear as to its ultimate importance. That said, it is evident that the academic exploration of Southeast Asia will also be affected by both the global and regional experiences of the pandemic. "Breakthroughs of Area Studies and ASEAN in the Era of Homo Untact" promises to help reconceptualize the study of the region by highlighting the importance of redefined spatial relationships and new potentially depersonalized modes of communication. This paper acknowledges these issues by suggesting that the transformations caused by the pandemic should motivate scholars to raise new questions about how to understand humanity-particularly as it is defined by societies, nations and regions. Given that COVID-19 (and the response to it) has altered many of the fundamental rhythms of globalized regions, there is sufficient warrant for re-examining both the ways in which disease, health and their related spaces affect the perceptions of Southeast Asia. To achieve "breakthroughs" into the investigation of the region, it makes sense to have another glance at the ways in which the discourses about diseases and health may have helped to inscribe definitions of Southeast Asia-or, at the very least, the nations, societies and peoples who live within it. In order to at least consider these larger issues, the discussion will concentrate on a formative moment in the conceptualization of Southeast Asia-British engagement with the region in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. To that end three themes will be highlighted: (1) the role that British diplomatic and military narratives played in establishing the information priorities required for the construction of colonial knowledge; (2) the importance not only of "colonial knowledge" but information making in its own right; (3) in anticipation of the use of big data, the manner in which manufactured information (related to space and disease) could function in shaping early British perceptions of Southeast Asia-particularly in Batavia and Java. This discussion will suggest that rather than see social distancing or increased communication as the greatest outcome of COVID-19, instead it will be the use of data-that is, big, aggregated biometric data which have not only shaped responses to the pandemic, but remain likely to produce the reconceptualization of both information and knowledge about the region in a way that will be at least as great as that which took place to meet the needs of the "New Imperialism." Furthermore, the definition and articulation of Southeast Asia has often reflected political and security considerations. Yet, the experience of COVID-19 could prove that data and security are now fused into a set of interests critical to policy-makers. Given that the pandemic should accelerate many existing trends, it might be foreseen these developments will herald the triumph of homo indicina: an epistemic condition whereby the human subject has become a kind of index for its harvestable data. If so, the "breakthroughs" for those who study Southeast Asia will follow in due course.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.687-693
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• 2023

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic more than 6 million people have died, and it has bought unprecedented challenges to our lives. The recent outbreak of monkeypox virus (MPXV) has brought out new tensions among the scientific community. Currently, there is no specific treatment protocol for MPXV. Several antivirals, vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) and smallpox vaccines have been used to treat MPXV. Ginseng, one of the more famous among traditional medicines, has been used for infectious disease for thousands of years. It has shown promising antiviral effects. Ginseng could be used as a potential adaptogenic agent to help prevent infection by MPXV along with other drugs and vaccines. In this mini review, we explore the possible use of ginseng in MPXV prevention based on its antiviral activity.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.43.1-43.10
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• 2023

The continuous emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants has provided insights for updating current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. We examined the neutralizing activity of Abs induced by a BA.4/5-containing bivalent mRNA vaccine against Omicron subvariants BN.1 and XBB.1.5. We recruited 40 individuals who had received a monovalent COVID-19 booster dose after a primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations and will be vaccinated with a BA.4/5-containing bivalent vaccine. Sera were collected before vaccination, one month after, and three months after a bivalent booster. Neutralizing Ab (nAb) titers were measured against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron subvariants BA.5, BN.1, and XBB.1.5. BA.4/5-containing bivalent vaccination significantly boosted nAb levels against both ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron subvariants. Participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection had higher nAb titers against all examined strains than the infection-naïve group. NAb titers against BN.1 and XBB.1.5 were lower than those against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and BA.5 strains. These results suggest that COVID-19 vaccinations specifically targeting emerging Omicron subvariants, such as XBB.1.5, may be required to ensure better protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in high-risk groups.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.35-40
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• 2021

This study attempted to derive important factors of emerging infectious diseases by collecting and analyzing text data onto emerging infectious diseases. For this purpose, articles in the Naver News database were directly crawled, pre-processed, and used for data analysis. In addition, additional analysis was performed using Big Kinds. As a result of the priority analysis, the importance was shown in the order of corona, infectious disease, quarantine, vaccine, outbreak, virus, infection, and development. As a result of the proximity centrality analysis, the importance was shown in the order of government, death, and plan, and the analysis result of Big Kinds showed that Covid-19 and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were important. Based on the results of this study, it can be said that the government's policy support is needed to raise public awareness of new infectious diseases, prevent disease, and develop vaccines and treatments.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.731-741
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeCoronavirus 2). To date, seven coronaviruses that can infect humans were reported. Among them, infections with four coronavirus strains (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1) resulted in mild symptoms such as common cold, whereas SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV caused severe symptoms and epidemics in 2002 and 2012, respectively. In the most recent, SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and became a notorious cause of the ongoing global pandemics. To diagnose, treat, and prevent COVID-19, the development of rapid and accurate diagnostic tools, specific therapeutic drugs, and safe vaccines essentially are required. In order to develop these powerful tools, it is prerequisite to understand a phenotype, a genotype, and life cycle of SARS-CoV-2. Diagnostic techniques have been developing rapidly around world and many countries take the fast track system to accelerate approval. Approved diagnostic devices are rapidly growing facing to urgent demand to identify carriers. Currently developed commercial diagnostic devices are divided into mainly two categories: molecular assay and serological & immunological assay. Molecular assays begins the reverse transcription step following polymerase chain reaction or isothermal amplification. Immunological assay targets SARS-CoV-2 antigen or anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody of samples. In this review, we summarize the phenotype, genome structure and gene expression of SARS-CoV-2 and provide the knowledge on various diagnostic techniques for SARS-CoV-2.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.199-207
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• 2023

To prepare for the threat of a future epidemic in the post-COVID-19 era, research based on the one-health concept (i.e., the health of humans, animals, and the environment as "one") is essential. Cross-species infections are being identified as a result of the high infection rate and viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. The possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to mink has been determined. In addition, the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to cats through contact has been considered possible. The data so far show that livestock and poultry are less likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, if infections are established through a new mutation, the resulting diseases are expected to have enormous ripple effects on various fields, such as human food security, the economy, and trade. In addition, there are concerns about the endemic prospect of SARS-CoV-2 and the high accessibility of companion animals. This is because the evolution of the virus likely occurs in animal hosts. Once SARS-CoV-2 is established in other species, they might serve as intermediate hosts for the re-emergence of the virus in the human population. Thus, it is necessary to ensure a rapid response to future outbreaks by accumulating research data on the animal infection of SARS-CoV-2. These data can have implications for the development of animal models for vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, in this study, epidemiological reviews were analyzed, and response strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals were presented using the One-health approach.