• Title/Summary/Keyword: Pandemic disease

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The Future of Flexible Learning and Emerging Technology in Medical Education: Reflections from the COVID-19 Pandemic (포스트 코로나 시대 플렉서블 러닝과 첨단기술 활용 중심의 의학교육 전망과 발전)

  • Park, Jennifer Jihae
    • Korean Medical Education Review
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    • v.23 no.3
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    • pp.147-153
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    • 2021
  • The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic made it necessary for medical schools to restructure their curriculum by switching from face-to-face instruction to various forms of flexible learning. Flexible learning is a student-centered approach to learning that has received interest in many educational sectors. It is a critical strategy for expanding access to higher education during the pandemic. As flexible learning includes online, blended, hybrid, and hyflex learning options, learners have the opportunity to select an instruction modality based on their needs and interests. The shift to flexible learning in medical education took place rapidly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and learners, instructors, and schools were not prepared for this instructional change. Through the lens of the technology acceptance model, human agency, and a social constructivist perspective, I examine students, instructors, and educational institutions' roles in successfully navigating the digital transformation era. The pandemic has also accelerated the use of advanced information and communication technologies, such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, in learning. Through a review of the literature, this paper aimed to reflect on current flexible learning practices from the instructional design and educational technology perspective and explore emerging technologies that may be implemented in future medical education.

Deterioration of Mental Health in Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Eunkyung Jo;Kyoil Seo;Boram Nam;Deokyong Shin;Seohyun Kim;Youngil Jeong;Aeju Kim;Yeni Kim
    • Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.21-29
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    • 2023
  • This paper reviews the global effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents in South Korea, the U.S., Japan, and China. We reviewed research on deteriorated mental health, including increased suicide, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm. Various studies have shown that students' mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the number of students who committed suicide has significantly increased in the U.S. and Japan. Factors such as prior mental health status, change in daily routine, reduced physical activity, excessive screen time, overuse of electronic devices, and reduced social support have been reported to have a significant effect. The chain of deteriorating mental health among the youth began at the onset of COVID-19, social distancing, and school closure. As youths began to stay at home instead of going to school, they lost opportunities to connect with their friends or teachers, who could provide support outside of their homes. Young people spent less time on physical activity and more time online, which damaged their sleeping schedule and daily routine. In preparing for the post-pandemic phase, we should thoroughly analyze the long-term effects of the pandemic on youth mental health, while simultaneously tackling current imminent issues.

COVID-19 and Cancer: Questions to Be Answered

  • Hong, Young Seon
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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    • v.24 no.1
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    • pp.66-68
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    • 2021
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak to be a pandemic on March 12, 2020. In Korea, there have been 24,027 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 420 deaths as of October 3, 2020. The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic infection to death. Cancer care in this pandemic has radically changed. The literature was reviewed. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it urgently necessary to profoundly re-organize cancer patients' care without compromising cancer outcomes. Several important questions in regard to COVID-19 infection in cancer patients have emerged. Are patients with cancer at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection? Are they at an increased risk of mortality and severe illness when infected with COVID-19? Does anticancer treatment affect the course of COVID-19? Based on the existing research, cancer patients with immunosuppression are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, and cancer patients are more likely to experience severe COVID-19. However, chemotherapy and major surgery do not seem to be predictors of hospitalization or severe disease. Korean background data on patients with cancer and COVID-19 are lacking. Prospective multicenter studies on the outcomes of patients with cancer and COVID-19 should be conducted.

Protective role of Ginseng in endomertriosis during covid-19

  • JiHyeon Song;YoungJoo Lee
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.47 no.2
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    • pp.169-172
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    • 2023
  • The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) pandemic began in December 2019. Many countries have implemented restrictions such as mandatory mask wearing and social distancing. These measures have caused diverse and complex health problems, particularly in women's health, anxiety, and depression. This review examines an alternative approach to the treatment of endometriosis during the COVID pandemic. The efficacy of ginseng with anti-inflammatory activity and ability to relieve or prevent symptoms of endometriosis is discussed and reviewed.

Digital Response to the COVID-19 in Korea: Lessons for the Next Infectious Disease Outbreak

  • Ahn, Sun-Ju
    • Health Policy and Management
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    • v.32 no.3
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    • pp.334-339
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    • 2022
  • The digital response is an excellent infection prevention and control measure to minimize person-to-person contact when a respiratory infectious disease is rapidly spreading. However, few studies have explored the reasons for the development and utilization of these technologies. Here, we analyze documents by the Korean government, existing research, and news articles to provide a qualitative review of the digital response, and new concepts explored by Korea during coronavirus disease 2019, to apply them for the next infectious disease outbreak.

Elementary, Middle, and High School Health Teachers' Countermeasures Against an Outbreak of Pandemic Diseases, Including MERS (초·중·고 보건교사들의 메르스 발생 시 대응)

  • Jun, Eunkyoung;Lee, Gyuyoung
    • Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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    • v.29 no.1
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    • pp.65-75
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    • 2018
  • Purpose: This study aims to examine how elementary, middle and high school health teachers in Gyeonggi province react to infectious disease like MERS. Methods: This is a descriptive study using a convenience sample of 1,267 school health teachers. Results: When MERS was an epidemic, school health teachers who took the 'leading' role were 92.4%. A school heath teacher's countermeasures against infectious diseases showed a high score during MERS outbreak (3.81) compared to regular days (3.59). Conclusion: Based on such results, it has been determined that schools need to keep two types of procedures manual, such as 'countermeasures on a regular basis' and 'countermeasures in the event of a pandemic disease outbreak' manual in the staff offices so that anyone can view them at any time. It is necessary to prepare regulations to strengthen their authority so that school health teachers can take the role of control tower, in a professional capacity, when communicable disease is spreading. In order to prevent any confusion and chaos, there should be a unitary reporting system at each school when dealing with an epidemic. School health teachers need to get continuous training to reinforce their abilities to react to communicable diseases.

Suggestions for Advancing the Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (신종감염병의 선진적 관리를 위한 제언)

  • Park, Eun-Cheol
    • Health Policy and Management
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    • v.30 no.1
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    • pp.1-3
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    • 2020
  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China, is pandemic. It has occurred in more than 170 countries on six continents. In Korea, COVID-19's cases are more than 9,000. The reasons of pandemic COVID-19 are that COVID-19 can spread asymptomatic or early in symptoms although similar reproductive number to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS), that there are more travelers in China and world than the SARS of 2003, and that the control of COVID-19 was contaminated to political considerations in China, World Health Organization (WHO), and Korea. Emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 will occur in the future. To prepare for control of emerging infectious disease, first, the Ministry of Health should be independent from Ministry of Health and Welfare and the department of disease management should be established. Second, experts for making evidence about the emerging infectious diseases should be trained and the plan that is the mobilization of manpower and facilities in large cases will be established. Third, the WHO should enhance its capacity to manage emerging infectious diseases and Korea will support the country of occurred emerging diseases through experts in the analysis of emerging infectious diseases.

COVID-19 pandemic and the immune regulatory function of foods (COVID-19 팬데믹과 식품의 면역조절 기능)

  • Kim, Gun-Dong;Lee, So-Young;Shin, Hee Soon
    • Food Science and Industry
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    • v.55 no.3
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    • pp.244-263
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    • 2022
  • Coronavirus, known as one of the causes of colds including mild upper respiratory tract disease in humans, has mutated into the infectious severe disease, COVID-19 through SARS and MERS. The mortality and symptoms of COVID-19 are related to the ability to regulate innate immunity, which acts as the first barrier against microorganisms and viruses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for food that helps to strengthen immunity is rapidly increasing. Functional foods promote general health and alleviate the risk of disease symptoms by activating multiple biological functions. A recent, there is an interest in discovering functional substances that can induce enhancement of immunity and prevent viral infection as well as relieve disease symptoms. Therefore, this article focus to understand the concept of immune response and highlights the recent status of functional foods and research trends that can help prevent and treat viral infections by inducing the enhancement of immune function.

Ginseng and ginsenosides on cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases; Pharmacological potentials for the coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • Ajay Vijayakumar;Jong-Hoon Kim
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.48 no.2
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    • pp.113-121
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    • 2024
  • Since its outbreak in late 2019, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly caused global morbidity and deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has major complications in cardiovascular and pulmonary system. The increased rate of mortality is due to delayed detection of certain biomarkers that are crucial in the development of disease. Furthermore, certain proteins and enzymes in cellular signaling pathways play an important role in replication of SARS-CoV-2. Most cases are mild to moderate symptoms, however severe cases of COVID-19 leads to death. Detecting the level of biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, cardiac troponin, creatine kinase, creatine kinaseMB, procalcitonin and Matrix metalloproteinases helps in early detection of the severity of disease. Similarly, through downregulating Renin-angiotensin system, interleukin, Mitogen-activated protein kinases and Phosphoinositide 3-kinases pathways, COVID-19 can be effectively controlled and mortality could be prevented. Ginseng and ginsenosides possess therapeutic potential in cardiac and pulmonary complications, there are several studies performed in which they have suppressed these biomarkers and downregulated the pathways, thereby inhibiting the further spread of disease. Supplementation with ginseng or ginsenoside could act on multiple pathways to reduce the level of biomarkers significantly and alleviate cardiac and pulmonary damage. Therefore, this review summarizes the potential of ginseng extract and ginsenosides in controlling the cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases by COVID-19.

Forecasting COVID-19 confirmed cases in South Korea using Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Networks

  • Ngoc, Kien Mai;Lee, Minho
    • International Journal of Contents
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    • v.17 no.3
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    • pp.1-14
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    • 2021
  • Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a lot of efforts have been made in the field of data science to help combat against this disease. Among them, forecasting the number of cases of infection is a crucial problem to predict the development of the pandemic. Many deep learning-based models can be applied to solve this type of time series problem. In this research, we would like to take a step forward to incorporate spatial data (geography) with time series data to forecast the cases of region-level infection simultaneously. Specifically, we model a single spatio-temporal graph, in which nodes represent the geographic regions, spatial edges represent the distance between each pair of regions, and temporal edges indicate the node features through time. We evaluate this approach in COVID-19 in a Korean dataset, and we show a decrease of approximately 10% in both RMSE and MAE, and a significant boost to the training speed compared to the baseline models. Moreover, the training efficiency allows this approach to be extended for a large-scale spatio-temporal dataset.