• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2023

Background: It was to describe collaborative educational efforts under Coronavirus disease 2019 period to advocate pharmacy-based immunization delivery and meet unmet needs of partnership institution using virtual learning platforms. Methods: A partnership was established among three pharmacy schools from two countries. The class content included the history of pharmacy immunization, pharmacists' roles and contribution to public health of the USA. The class also reviewed the value of pharmacists as frontline healthcare workers to foster student insights and the scope of pharmacy. The virtual class featured an interactive video simulation and small breakroom discussion besides a lecture. Results: Participants indicated that public accessibility to pharmacy and six-year education system in South Korea as advantages. However, legislative restrictions, pharmacist burden, and interprofessional disagreements were expressed as barriers to introduce the pharmacist immunization. Conclusion: A virtual learning platform was used to advocate for pharmacy-based immunization and fulfilled an unmet educational gap at a partnership institution.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.118-122
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• 2023

In this study, we investigate the emergence of bullous pemphigoid (BP) after the administration of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus Disease 2019 (SARSCOVID-19) vaccine. The study presents two cases of women, aged 47 and 53, diagnosed with BP following SARS-COVID-19 vaccination. BP is a common autoimmune blistering disorder prevalent among older populations, with an incidence rate ranging from 2 to 40 cases per million individuals. This condition arises when autoantibodies target adhesive proteins in the skin, resulting in blister formation and mucosal erosion. Drug-induced bullous pemphigoid (DIBP) shares similarities with the classic form of BP but may be influenced by medication usage. Notably, DIBP exhibits distinct characteristics, such as affecting a younger demographic and involving mucosal regions more prominently than classic BP. The growing incidence of BP is linked to factors such as an aging population and the rise of drug-induced cases. This case report provides valuable insights into comprehending DIBP, elucidating post-vaccination discomforts, particularly those related to oral lesions and the exacerbation of existing lesions. By elucidating these aspects, we aim to advance the understanding of DIBP within the medical community.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.6
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• pp.1334-1347
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has threatened public health as a global pandemic. Chest CT and radiography are crucial in managing COVID-19 in addition to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, which is the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis. This is a review of the current status of the use of chest CT and radiography in COVID-19 diagnosis and management and anㄷ introduction of early representative studies on the application of artificial intelligence to chest CT and radiography. The authors also share their experiences to provide insights into the future value of artificial intelligence.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.431-432
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been going on for nearly a year. As of December 1, 2020, more than 60 million confirmed cases and 1.4 million deaths have occurred in 220 countries and territories. There is no effective treatment for COVID-19 so far, and vaccines are being developed. However, the vaccine of COVID-19 can be freed from COVID-19 only if there are positive answers to some questions: "Aren't there any major side effects from the vaccine?"; "Is the vaccine effective for enough time?"; "Does the vaccine sufficiently reduce the mortality rate?"; and "Does the vaccine sufficiently reduce the reproduction number?" The fight against COVID-19 will continue for a long time. Therefore, we need to respond by developing the evidence for control of COVID-19, the emerging infectious disease. Extensive quarantine measures in the early stages of COVID-19 need to be elaborated through developing the evidence. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency should establish a database for evidence developing COVID-19 control. In this database, based on more than 3 million tested individuals, epidemiological investigation results, health insurance claims data, and government data such as the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, etc. should be linked. It is necessary to disclose this database to academia, etc. to create the evidences of COVID-19 and manage COVID-19 through these. And through the developed evidences, guidelines for physical health and mental health in the era of Corona 19 should be developed.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.51.1-51.5
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• 2020

A novel coronavirus emerged in human populations and spread rapidly to cause the global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Although the origin of the associated virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]) remains unclear, genetic evidence suggests that bats are a reservoir host of the virus, and pangolins are a probable intermediate. SARS-CoV-2 has crossed the species barrier to infect humans and other animal species, and infected humans can facilitate reverse-zoonotic transmission to animals. Considering the rapidly changing interconnections among people, animals, and ecosystems, traditional roles of veterinarians should evolve to include transdisciplinary roles.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.501-504
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• 2020

From December 2019, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia (formerly known as the 2019 novel Coronavirus [2019-nCoV]) broke out in Wuhan, China. In this study, we present serial CT findings in a 40-year-old female patient with COVID-19 pneumonia who presented with the symptoms of fever, chest tightness, and fatigue. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection confirmed by real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. CT showed rapidly progressing peripheral consolidations and ground-glass opacities in both lungs. After treatment, the lesions were shown to be almost absorbed leaving the fibrous lesions.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.12
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• pp.652-660
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• 2021

Background: Viral load and shedding duration are highly associated with the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, limited studies have reported on viral load or shedding in children and adolescents infected with sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the natural course of viral load in asymptomatic or mild pediatric cases. Methods: Thirty-one children (<18 years) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were hospitalized and enrolled in this study. Viral loads were evaluated in nasopharyngeal swab samples using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (E, RdRp, N genes). cycle threshold (Ct) values were measured when patients met the clinical criteria to be released from quarantine. Results: The mean age of the patients was 9.8 years, 18 (58%) had mild disease, and 13 (42%) were asymptomatic. Most children were infected by adult family members, most commonly by their mothers. The most common symptoms were fever and sputum (26%), followed by cough and runny nose. Nine patients (29%) had a high or intermediate viral load (Ct value≤30) when they had no clinical symptoms. Viral load showed no difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Viral rebounds were found in 15 cases (48%), which contributed to prolonged viral detection. The mean duration of viral detection was 25.6 days. Viral loads were significantly lower in patients with viral rebounds than in those with no rebound (E, P=0.003; RdRp, P=0.01; N, P=0.02). Conclusion: Our study showed that many pediatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experienced viral rebound and showed viral detection for more than 3 weeks. Further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between viral rebound and infectiousness in COVID-19.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 2022

While the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is gradually turning into an endemic disease, concerns about post COVID-19 conditions (Long COVID) are emerging. Obesity is a major risk factor for severe complications of COVID-19, and COVID-19 has a wide range of effects on obesity and metabolic function. This paper aims to examine the interaction between COVID-19 and obesity, the effects and mechanisms of long COVID on obesity, and the role of Korean medicine on long COVID-related obesity. Obesity may worsen with cardiometabolic damage and psychosocial insecurity during COVID-19 and long COVID-induced neuroinflammation, systemic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hypoxia also may aggravate obesity. Korean Medicine treatments, which have been widely used to treat obesity, have the potential to improve obesity in the era of long COVID by intervening in these mechanisms.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Patients with severe COVID-19 exhibit hyper-inflammatory responses characterized by excessive activation of myeloid cells, including monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils, and a plethora of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Accumulating evidence also indicates that hyper-inflammation is a driving factor for severe progression of the disease, which has prompted the development of anti-inflammatory therapies for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Corticosteroids, IL-6R inhibitors, and JAK inhibitors have demonstrated promising results in treating patients with severe disease. In addition, diverse forms of exosomes that exert anti-inflammatory functions have been tested experimentally for the treatment of COVID-19. Here, we briefly describe the immunological mechanisms of the hyper-inflammatory responses in patients with severe COVID-19. We also summarize current anti-inflammatory therapies for the treatment of severe COVID-19 and novel exosome-based therapeutics that are in experimental stages.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.521-523
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• 2021

The increasing number of studies published on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia has improved our knowledge of the disease itself and its complications. Despite a considerable number of publications on COVID-19 pneumonia-associated pneumothorax, no article on spontaneous hemopneumothorax has been found in the English-language literature. According to published case reports, pneumothorax generally occurs in hospitalized patients during treatment, whereas cases that arise in the late period after discharge are exceptional. Herein, we present a case of spontaneous hemopneumothorax occurring as a late complication of COVID-19 pneumonia on day 17 after discharge.