• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.89-99
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• 2016

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the prevalence and factors relating to handwashing with soap among Korean adults. Methods: Study subjects consist of 755 adults who have been contacted in September 2013 via telephone surveys. The data collected has been analyzed using descriptive statistics, a chi-square test and a logistic regression analysis. A primary purpose is to understand the prevalence of handwashing with soap more than 8 times daily and for 30 seconds per wash among adults. Independent variables include socioeconomic levels, the participants' perception and knowledge of handwashing and their educational experiences relating to handwashing. Results: The overall percentile of people who wash their hands with soap 8 time per day for 30 seconds or more per wash was 16.0%, which is 121 people out of 755 study subjects. In univariate analysis, age, education levels, monthly average income, handwashing habits, perceptions relate to the importance of handwashing, self-assessment of handwashing, environment of public toilet, and the completion of handwashing education shows significant result. Significant differences also appear (p<0.05) in logistic regression analysis on binary variables. There is a strong correlation between daily frequency of handwashing and willingness to wash hands while outside. For example, people who wash their hands very often while outside are 2.24 times (95% C.I. 1.29-3.87) more likely to practice handwashing with soap 8 times per day for 30 seconds or more per wash than those people who only intermittently wash their hands while outside. Furthermore, people with general unwillingness to wash their hands while outside are 4.61 times (95% C.I. 1.22-3.28) less likely to practice handwashing with soap 8 times per day for 30 seconds or more per wash than those with general willingness. Conclusions: This study has been carried out to identify the decision factors in practicing handwashing with soap for Korean adults. In univariate analysis, age, education level, monthly average income, handwashing habits, handwashing self-assessment, public toilet environment, completion of handwashing education and so forth have been identified to be the decision factors. This study result shows that the overall level of cleanliness of public toilet perceives to be poor and it suggests that the environment of public toilet needs to be enhanced. As the handwashing habits and handwashing-self assessment have been identified to be the significant decision factors for handwashing, there search and approach in these factors need to be developed further.

• CELLMED
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.20.1-20.23
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• 2021

Background: The pandemic COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-COV-2 has spread like a forest fire. This disease may have serious consequences for pregnant women. Presently, no specific drugs or vaccines exist to battle this disease and researches are underway. Unani medicine has a unique role in prevention and management during epidemics. Here, we reviewed the overview of COVID-19 infection and pregnancy, concept and practices in Unani medicine for flu-like epidemics in general and pregnancy, and safety of Unani drugs for the prevention and treatment of mild symptomatic cases of COVID-19 during pregnancy. Methodology: Unani classical texts and pharmacopoeia were meticulously explored for concepts and practices for flu-like epidemic diseases. Further, we browsed scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus and others for an overview, epidemics and Unani medicine, effectiveness and safety of Unani drugs in COVID-19 and pregnancy. Results: Unani medicine includes prevention and management of flu-like epidemic include quarantine and isolation, aromatic herbal drugs fumigation and spraying for environmental disinfection, ilaj bid tadbir for health promotion and use of health-protecting drugs and symptom-specific drugs in general and related to pregnancy. Lahsun, asalussus, behidana, banafsha, zanjabeel, unnab, etc are in use since antiquity for the prevention and treatment of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic pregnant women during infectious and epidemic diseases. Conclusion: Currently, the aforementioned plants are proven for antiviral, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities, probably useful in the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, scientific studies have provided new insight into the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of Unani medicines that are safe in pregnancy.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.785-790
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• 2020

In addition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, interest and research on medical information are actively being conducted. As the technologies using short-range low-power wireless communication are applied in connection with mobile devices, the utilization of them in medical institutions is gradually increasing, and the demand of customers who want to receive high-quality services using IT technology is increasing in the medical environment according to the development and change of technology. In addition, modern people who are familiar with smart equipment and consider the value of time is important do not waste their time through rapid service. In addition, as the recent epidemics including Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have become popular, interest in untapped (non-face-to-face) has increased, and social distance is needed as a preliminary measure against infectious diseases. For this reason, this study studied the untapped-based medical reception system to provide quick service to patients using short-range low-power wireless communication and to provide safer and more comfortable environment for medical staff and visitors.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.975-980
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• 2021

As technology utilizing low-power short-range wireless communication is applied in conjunction with medical information as a development of the fourth industrial revolution, interest in medical information is increasing. As the age group of smart devices increases and becomes more common, related research such as linking mobile devices with various objects and equipment is continuously being conducted. In addition, interest in untact (non-face-to-face) is increasing due to the prevalence of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19), including various infectious diseases. As a result, it is a state that requires distance not only in social but also in life. In this study, using a low-power near-field wireless communication technology of beacons to create an IoT device by communicating with the web server of the medical information system was studied to make it easier to receive medical treatment during visits to medical institutions.

• Infection and chemotherapy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.328-339
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• 2018

Background: Pneumococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in patients with comorbidities and advanced age. This study evaluated trends in epidemiology of adult pneumococcal disease in Crete, Greece, by identifying serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of consecutive Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from adults during an 8-year time period (2009-2016) and the indirect effect of the infant pneumococcal higher-valent conjugate vaccines 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Materials and Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by E-test and serotyping by Quellung reaction. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was defined as non-susceptibility to penicillin (PNSP) combined with resistance to ${\geq}2$ non-${\beta}$-lactam antimicrobials. Results: A total of 135 S. pneumoniae strains were isolated from adults during the study period. Twenty-one serotypes were identified with 17F, 15A, 3, 19A, and 11A, being the most common. The coverage rates of PCV10, and PCV13 were 17.8% and 37.8%, respectively. PCV13 serotypes decreased significantly from 68.4% in 2009 to 8.3% in 2016 (P = 0.002). The most important emerging non-PCV13 serotypes were 17F, 15A, and 11A, with 15A being strongly associated with antimicrobial resistance and MDR. Among all study isolates, penicillin-resistant and MDR strains represented 7.4% and 14.1%, respectively. Predominant PNSP serotypes were 19A (21.7%), 11A (17.4%), and 15A (17.4%). Erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and levofloxacin resistant rates were 30.4%, 15.6%, 16.3%, 16.3%, and 1.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Although pneumococcal disease continues to be a health burden in adults in Crete, our study reveals a herd protection effect of the infant pneumococcal higher-valent conjugate vaccination. Surveillance of changes in serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance among pneumococcal isolates are necessary to guide optimal prevention and treatment strategies.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.51-60
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• 2021

Purpose: Tuberculosis(TB) care unit in public health center should be carefully considered to be re-designed as an infection safety environment for both patient and healthcare workers. So, for the enhancement, this study analyses the facility requirements for co-using the screening clinic as a TB and other respiratory disease care unit. Methods: Not only screening clinic facility guidelines from "A Study for Standard Triage Design and Construction Document" but also the guidelines of TB care and related medical facility are reviewed; KDCA, CDC, ECDC and WHO as a TB care, and FGI and NHS for facility. The facility requirements are summarized space, approach, and mechanical requirement in order. By comparing the summary and screening clinic facility guidelines, supplementations are proposed for TB care unit setting. Results: The result of this study shows that both the space program and mechanical requirement of the screening clinic and that of TB care unit are almost identical and could be share, which include direct airflow or negative air pressure in an exam room. To increase functional and economical efficiency, however, it is necessary to consider a multi-functional negative pressured room, So care process may be re-designed based on a room type; face-to-face room or glass wall inbetween. Implications: The facility guidelines for TB care unit of a public health center should be developed to build a safe environment for infection control by reflecting its medical plan and budget.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.48-59
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• 2021

This study aimed to explore anxiety, risk perception, information literacy, and performance level of infection prevention practices against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among nursing students during the pandemic. A descriptive online survey was conducted, targeting a total of 224 nursing students from June 8, 2020 to 14, 2020. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance, and correlation analysis using SPSS 26.0. The nursing students' level of anxiety was 6.86 out of 10, which was normal. Their information literacy level and performance level of infection prevention practices were 3.50 out of 4 and 4.44 out of 5, respectively, and these scores were considered high. The higher the level of anxiety, risk perception, and information literacy, the higher the level of infection prevention practices. The level of anxiety with respect to infection and risk perception may increase when new types of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 break out. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the accurate understanding of the infectious diseases by providing sufficient information. Accurate understanding of new infectious diseases can reduce the risk of transmission as it encourages people to thoroughly perform infection prevention practices.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.87-98
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• 2020

This study was conducted to identify anxiety, knowledge, possibility of infection, possibility of prevention and performance level for infection prevention among the general public according to the spread of COVID-19. Data were collected from 208 adults in their 20s and 50s from April 6th to 10th in 2020 using questionnaire. Characteristics relative to variables were measured, and analyzed using SPSS 23.0 program for technical statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and correlation. The anxiety level differed according to gender, age, marital status, and live-in partner. The Knowledge score was significantly different according to age and marital status. Possibility of infection was significantly different according to age and residential area. Performance level for infection prevention was significantly different according to gender, age, marital status, and live-in partner. However, preventive possibility was not significantly different regardless of characteristics. These findings may have implications for establishing policies that work well in preventing infectious disease. It is necessary to conduct further research comparing responses of subjects by the stages of infectious disease outbreaks. Further extended studies that include more regions and larger sample sizes are required.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.105-162
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• 2020

In the pandemic of infectious disease, restrictions of individual liberty have been justified in the name of public health and public interest. In March 2020, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea passed the revised bill of the 「Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.」 The revised bill newly established the legal basis for forced testing and disclosure of the information of confirmed cases, and also raised the penalties for violation of self-isolation and treatment refusal. This paper examines whether and how these individual liberty limiting clauses be justified, and if so on what ethical and philosophical grounds. The authors propose the theories of the philosophy of law related to the justifiability of liberty-limiting measures by the state and conceptualized the dual-aspect of applying the liberty-limiting principle to the infected patient. In COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the infected person became the 'Patient as Victim and Vector (PVV)' that posits itself on the overlapping area of 'harm to self' and 'harm to others.' In order to apply the liberty-limiting principle proposed by Joel Feinberg to a pandemic with uncertainties, it is necessary to extend the harm principle from 'harm' to 'risk'. Under the crisis with many uncertainties like COVID-19 pandemic, this shift from 'harm' to 'risk' justifies the state's preemptive limitation on individual liberty based on the precautionary principle. This, at the same time, raises concerns of overcriminalization, i.e., too much limitation of individual liberty without sufficient grounds. In this article, we aim to propose principles regarding how to balance between the precautionary principle for preemptive restrictions of liberty and the concerns of overcriminalization. Public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic requires a population approach where the 'population' rather than an 'individual' works as a unit of analysis. We propose the second expansion of the harm principle to be applied to 'population' in order to deal with the public interest and public health. The new concept 'risk to population,' derived from the two arguments stated above, should be introduced to explain the public health crisis like COVID-19 pandemic. We theorize 'the extended harm principle' to include the 'risk to population' as a third liberty-limiting principle following 'harm to others' and 'harm to self.' Lastly, we examine whether the restriction of liberty of the revised 「Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act」 can be justified under the extended harm principle. First, we conclude that forced isolation of the infected patient could be justified in a pandemic situation by satisfying the 'risk to the population.' Secondly, the forced examination of COVID-19 does not violate the extended harm principle either, based on the high infectivity of asymptomatic infected people to others. Thirdly, however, the provision of forced treatment can not be justified, not only under the traditional harm principle but also under the extended harm principle. Therefore it is necessary to include additional clauses in the provision in order to justify the punishment of treatment refusal even in a pandemic.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.85-104
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• 1997

As the concern about health is increased, the importance of preventive medicine that prevent disease in advance to overcome boundary of disease remedy gets emphasized in the whole world. The fundamental thoughts of oriental medicine are the harmony between the human body and nature, the unified idea regarding mind in the same light with body, and the symmetry of the cosmo dual forces. And oriental medicine is a kind of study that has developed on the ground of prevention thought. from old days, it has been developed the preventive medicine at is called 'Yangseng(養生; recuperation)' etc. with the clinical medicine. The preventive medicine of oriental medicine was taking a serious of the first preventive medicine of an incurable disease thought and the prevention thought that belongs to the second and third preventive medicine is described through the whole oriental medicine. Also the clinical and preventive medicine to apply to the clinics have an in- separable relation. Therefore I inspected the part of the preventive medicine described in some oriental medicine books and studied the characteristics of preventive medicine of oriental medicine as follows; First, the preventive medicine of oriental medicine has the characteristics that is emphasized generally in the first preventive medicine and wholly it is composed in the system of the first, second and third preventive medicine. It has the presentative theory such as 'Jungkijonae sabulkaghan(正氣存內 邪不可干; If good energy is in body, a disease. dosen't occur)', 'Husajukpung Phijeyushi(虛邪賊風 避之有時; When e infectious disease like plague break out, they must avoid the place occurring the disease)', 'Chuninsangeung(天人相應; The harmony of nature and human)' etc.. This is intimately related to the incurable disease thought of the inside diameter and oriental medicine has pursued that. Second, due to the most prerequisite theory of disease production, the balanced condition of environment, the cause of a disease and host is called the health. As oriental medicine has the system of aetiology like that, we can see the host and environments are importance most of all. Namely we can think of the relation of host >> environment > the cause a disease Up to date Jungkijonae Sabulkaghan(正氣存內 邪不可干) that the most oriental medicine doctors have had a knowledge is not whole theory but a pan of oriental medicine science and it is included in oriental medicine theory to avoid infectious disease such as Husajukpung Phijeyushi(虛邪賊風 避之有時). Third, according to the natural result of the first and second contents, we can know that its characteristics stress the remedy without drugs. Because Jungkijonae Sabulkaghan(正氣存內 邪不可干), Husasukpung Phijeyushi(虛邪賊風 避之有時), and Chuninsangeung(天人相應) mean that they prevent disease in condition of freedom from ailment, We can prevent the disease production through the positive preventive methods such as exercise, spirit, food and innate prevention etc.. fourth, the preventive medicine of oriental medicine has developed with therapeutics and it contains all oriental medical methods such as host, environment, exercise, acupuncture and moxibustion, innate or postnatal methods. Also it is the general preventive medicine that has fundamental philosophy of oriental medicine; for examples, the unified idea, the harmony of nature and human, and the unity of mind and body. fifth, to develope the above scientific merit and special features, the preventive medicine of Oriental medicine must be objectified and reemergent stud? gets more and more essential from now on. Especially we need to have the scientific concern of Oriental medicine about the cause of a disease, environmental hygiene, industrial sanitation, and personal hygiene etc..