• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.274-276
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• 2015

Since the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea) began on May 11, 2015, a total of 186 persons have been infected by the MERS coronavirus, 38 of whom have died. With this number, Korea becomes second only to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the ranking of cumulative MERS cases. In this paper Korea's unique experience of an outbreak of MERS will be summarized and discussed briefly.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.335-347
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• 2015

Objectives This study aims to overview traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment guidelines for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in order to facilitate the use of Korean medicine (KM) treatment in pandemic diseases. Methods We compared the characteristics between SARS and MERS, and overviewed the Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment guidelines for SARS and MERS. We assessed the efficacy of simultaneous administration of herbal medicine and Western medicine on SARS by studying Cochranes 2012's Systematic Review Studies. Results and Conclusions Based on wen bing (warm diseases) of KM as well as TCM, KM treatment can be an alternative for pandemic diseases such as SARS and MERS considering the Korean's characteristic environment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.18-22
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• 2016

Ethical considerations are essential in planning for and responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases. During the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Republic of Korea in 2015, serious challenges emerged regarding important ethical issues, such as transparency and the protection of privacy. The development of bioethics in Korea has been influenced by individualistic perspectives applied in clinical contexts, leading to a paucity of ethical perspectives relevant to population-level phenomena such as outbreaks. Alternative theories of public health ethics include the perspectives of relational autonomy and the patient as victim and vector. Public health actions need to incorporate clear and systematic procedures founded upon ethical principles. The MERS-CoV epidemic in Korea created significant public support for more aggressive early interventions in future outbreaks. This trend makes it all the more imperative for ethical principles and procedures to be implemented in future planning and responses to outbreaks in order to promote perceptions of legitimacy and civic participation.

• 정신신체의학
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.111-119
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• 2017

연구목적 본 연구는 메르스(Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, MERS(Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, 이하 MERS) 사태 발생 당시에 받은 스트레스가 사회심리적 건강에 미치는 영향을 알아보고, 회복탄력성이 매개효과로서 사회심리적 건강에 영향을 주는지를 알아보고자 하였다. 방 법 MERS가 발생한 병원의 병원종사자 156명과 일반인 127명을 대상으로 스트레스 자각척도, 사회심리적 건강측정 도구, 코너-데이비슨 리질리언스 척도를 시행하였다. 스트레스가 사회심리적 건강에 미치는 영향 및 회복탄력성의 매개효과를 확인하기 위해 피어슨 상관관계분석과 위계적 다중회귀분석을 실시하였다. 결 과 병원종사자와 일반인 모두에서 지각된 스트레스가 높을수록 사회 심리적 건강이 좋지 않음을 보였고, 지각된 스트레스가 높을수록 낮은 회복탄력성을 나타냈으며, 스트레스와 사회심리적 건강 사이의 관계에서 회복탄력성이 부분 매개를 하는 것으로 나타났다. 결 론 본 연구는 MERS 사태로 인해 받은 스트레스가 사회심리적 건강에 영향을 미침에 있어서 개인의 회복탄력성의 정도가 간접적으로 사회심리적 건강에 긍정적 효과를 끼칠 수 있고, 회복탄력성 강화를 목표로 한 임상적 개입 및 사회심리적 접근방법이 위기 발생시 정신건강을 유지하는데 중요함을 시사한다.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.277-279
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• 2015

Contact monitoring is an essential component of the public health response to a Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreak, and is required for an effective quarantine to contain the epidemic. The timeliness of a quarantine is associated with its effectiveness. This paper provides a conceptual framework to describe the process of contact monitoring, and proposes a new measure called the "timely quarantined proportion" as a tool to assess the adequacy of a public health response.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.136-142
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• 2015

대한소아감염학회는 2015년 우리나라에서 처음으로 중동호흡기증후군(Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, MERS, 메르스) 환자가 발생하여 보건의료 응급 상황 발생의 긴박했던 시기에 이에 대한 대처에 참여하였다. 우리 학회는 메르스 발생 시 학회 홈페이지에 관련 공고문을 즉시 게시하였고 소아청소년에서의 메르스 환자의 발생시 의심 환자의 검사와 진단 및 국민안심병원 운영을 위해 소아청소년 MERS (중동호흡기) 검사 지침, 국민안심병원 소아청소년과 운영지침을 발빠르게 배포하였다. 이는 메르스 의심환자에 대한 접근에서 소아청소년에서 흔한 호흡기 질환 환자들이 메르스로 오인되어 불필요한 공포, 검사 및 격리를 당하지 않도록 하기 위함이었다. 이를 통해 소아청소년 환자를 진료하는 의사들과 이들의 보호자들을 안심시켰고 결국 많은 심리적 공포와 의료 비용을 감소시켰으며 메르스 종식 시 돌이켜보니 이는 결국 적절한 조치와 가이드라인이었음이 증명되었다. 앞으로 대한소아감염학회와 회원이 유관기관과 긴밀한 협조와 소통을 할 수 있는 체계 시스템을 구축해야 하며 상급의료기관의 소아청소년 감염전문의 필수 상주 및 이에 의한 감염관리료 제도 장착과 수가 신설 및 개선을 유도하는 등의 추진이 필요하다.

• 기본간호학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.402-410
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• 2016

Purpose: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical to protect healthcare workers from pandemic outbreaks. This study was designed to identify nurses' knowledge, attitude and perceptions on PPE. Methods: Data were collected from 154 nurses working at a tertiary general hospital, where positively diagnosed and suspected patients were accepted and admitted during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus outbreak in 2015. The PPE tool consists of 20 items for knowledge, and 5 each for attitudes and perceptions. Results: Overall, knowledge for PPE was higher than moderate (76.95/100), but there was a lack for items related to powered air purifying respirator (PAPR). For attitudes, willingness to work in pandemic outbreaks was the most positive (4.04/5.00). Goggles and PAPR were perceived as the most uncomfortable barriers to work. There was no correlation between knowledge, attitude and perceptions, despite a strong positive correlation between attitude and perceptions. PPE training was identified as a factor to improve knowledge and attitudes on PPE. Conclusion: To respond to pandemic influenza, nurses need to expand their knowledge on PPE up to Level C, and be updated through regular training. Study findings suggest that repetitive studies targeting nurses and other healthcare workers at various hospital settings are necessary.

• 한국직업건강간호학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Purpose: The 2015 Korean Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreaks resulted in 186 cases, with 8% (15 persons) of these being nurses. This study aimed to examine MERS-CoV infection status of clinical nurses and to evaluate perception for infection control. Methods: We investigated the MERS-CoV infection status of nurses using MERS-CoV press release data. We examined and analysed perception for Infection control of 121 nurses of the three MERS intensive therapeutic hospitals in July 2015. Results: One to six nurses per hospital in total 8 health care facilities were infected with MERS-CoV. They mainly had short clinical careers and were unaware of infection possibility. The personal and organizational infection control levels that nurses perceive were low and the relationship between two levels was statistically significant. Conclusion: For promoting health protection and infectious disease management competency of nurses, it is necessary to prepare institutional system for controlling infectious disease.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.265-270
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• 2015

The recent Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak has originated from a failure in the national quarantine system in the Republic of Korea as most basic role of protecting the safety and lives of its citizens. Furthermore, a number of the Korean healthcare system's weaknesses seem to have been completely exposed. The MERS-CoV outbreak can be considered a typical public health crisis in that the public was not only greatly terrorized by the actual fear of the disease, but also experienced a great impact to their daily lives, all in a short period of time. Preparedness for and an appropriate response to a public health crisis require comprehensive systematic public healthcare measures to address risks comprehensively with an all-hazards approach. Consequently, discussion regarding establishment of post-MERS-CoV improvement measures must focus on the total reform of the national quarantine system and strengthening of the public health infrastructure. In addition, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must implement specific strategies of action including taking on the role of "control tower" in a public health emergency, training of Field Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, establishment of collaborative governance between central and local governments for infection prevention and control, strengthening the roles and capabilities of community-based public hospitals, and development of nationwide crisis communication methods.

• 임상간호연구
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.179-188
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• 2017

Purpose: This study examined post-traumatic stress (PTS) and the factors affecting it among general hospital nurses after the MERS(Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic. Methods: Data were collected from 170 nurses who worked at general hospitals since the first reported MERS outbreak. The IES-R-K assessed PTS. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: The mean PTS level was 7.80 points (range: 0~88); 7.1% of the participants were at a high risk. Nurses who had been in contact with patients suspected or diagnosed with MERS had high post-traumatic levels; those who had been quarantined during the MERS outbreak had relatively higher PTS levels. Shift-work nurses had higher PTS levels than those with fixed working hours. Above charge' nurses stress levels were higher than staff nurses' stress levels. The results showed that factors including contact with an MERS-suspected or diagnosed patient, position at work, and working status of MERS-affected nurses explained 16% of the PTS. Among the main variables, nurses' above charge position was the greatest factor affecting PTS. Discussion: It is necessary to develop intervention studies and programs considering these variables. Furthermore, development and implementation of differentiated programs should be done considering the position of above charge nurses.