• Review of Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.18-23
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• 2020

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.155-162
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• 2022

Even after testing negative for COVID-19, some patients continue to struggle with a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal problems and neurological problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined long COVID (Post COVID-19 conditions) as "A disease occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset of COVID-19 with symptoms that last for at least 2 months, that cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis." As a possible pathological mechanism of long COVID, three hypotheses are proposed: the persistence of the infectious state due to the residual virus, the persistent inflammatory response, and the autoimmune response. The main symptoms of long COVID are shortness of breath (dyspnea), abdominal pain and dyspepsia, fatigue, cognitive problems (brain fog), anosmia and dysgeusia, and chest pain, palpitations and tachycardia. In the Chinese guidelines, COVID-19 patients were divided into mild, moderate, severe, and recovery, and prescriptions with effective therapeutic effects were summarized to encourage combined treatment of chinese and western medicine. Globally, only symptomatic therapy is recommended for long COVID, but a specific treatment has not yet been proposed. Recently, morbidity code for post COVID-19 conditions was created, and it is planned to announce guidelines for long COVID treatment and management in the first half of 2023. In line with this trend, the Korean medical community needs to make efforts to prepare treatment guidelines for patients with long COVID.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.238-246
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of complex rehabilitation with and without acupuncture in a hospital setting. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was performed at Rehabilitation center "Kamenskoe Plato" in Almaty, Kazakhstan. 160 patients with Post COVID-19 condition were randomly equally divided into an acupuncture with complex rehabilitation methods and a only complex rehabilitation methods group in the period from March 1, 2022 to July 1, 2022. Either groups was performed for an 10-14 days period. The outcome measures were the Bartel index, the Borg scale, Modified Dyspnea Scale and the 6-minute walking test. Adverse events also were monitored and documented. Results: We found statistically significant improvement after the rehabilitation course with acupuncture in the all scales. And in the group without acupuncture, only on two scales: MDS and Borg scale. Conclusion: Rehabilitation with acupuncture is possible and effective in patients recovering from post-COVID-19. Our findings may be useful to guide clinicians taking care of patients with post-COVID-19.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1294-1317
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• 2023

Background: Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis (PCPF) is a common complication in severe COVID-19 cases, often associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome or mechanical ventilation. Patients with PCPF frequently experience a decline in their quality of life due to persistent COVID-19 sequelae, including cough and chest pain. However, there is currently no established standard treatment, and the efficacy of existing medications remains uncertain. Case Report: A 65-year-old female patient presenting with cough, dyspnea, chest pain, and fatigue due to PCPF received Korean medicine treatment for 25 days. Symptom evaluation utilized the modified Medical Research Council scale, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, and the Numeral Rating Scale. Quality of life and functional status were assessed using the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status and the EuroQol 5-Dimensional 5-Level. The extent of pulmonary fibrosis was assessed by comparing chest computed tomography (chest CT) scans before and after hospitalization. Following treatment, the patient demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement in clinical symptoms, enhanced quality of life, and decreased fibrotic lesions on CT scans. Conclusion: This case report suggests that Korean medicine treatment may be effective in improving clinical symptoms, such as cough and dyspnea caused by PCPF, while also enhancing post-COVID-19 quality of life and ameliorating pulmonary fibrotic lesions.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2021

The form of agri-food transaction has taken a rapid change from the existing method since Covid-19. In response to changes in the market environment such as Covid-19, the integrated marketing organization in Jeollabuk-do was diagnosed from the point of view of innovation, and the future direction was examined. In order to improve the distribution structure of the production area, an integrated marketing organization was fostered, and both quantitative and qualitative growth were brought about. However, some regions still lack willingness to participate and lack of expertise. In particular, there is no infrastructure and strategy to prepare for the increase in non-face-to-face transactions post Covid-19. Online transactions also require economies of scale, so non-face-to-face transaction capabilities must be reinforced by adding a separate organization and experts in charge of online transaction functions within the integrated marketing organization. In the future, online sales are highly likely to expand not only to transactions between producers and individual consumers (C to C), but also to mass consumer (B to B) transactions. It will be an opportunity. In addition, it is necessary to efficiently use production area distribution facilities such as sorting and packaging. Since the non-contact transaction method will increase after Corona 19, it is necessary to strengthen marketing capabilities such as expansion of utilization rate, order placement, settlement, and customer management, and reorganization of specialized organizations.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2024

Purpose: This study seeks to explore the impact of COVID-19-induced boredom, a prevalent form of pandemic-related stress, on travel motivation and post-pandemic travel intentions. Additionally, it examines the interplay among travel motivation, travel constraints, and the willingness to pay more for travel experiences in the post-pandemic context. Methods: A PLS-SEM analysis was conducted to analyze the data. Data collection took place through an online survey in February and March 2021, with a total of 575 respondents participating. Participants provided responses regarding their current levels of boredom due to COVID-19, five different travel motivations, seven travel constraints, and their post-pandemic travel intentions. Additionally, participants were asked about their willingness to pay more for travel. Results: This study highlights the significant role of COVID-19-induced boredom in predicting post-pandemic travel intentions and the willingness to pay more for travel. Contrary to previous perceptions, boredom emerges as a driving factor, enhancing travel intentions during the pandemic. Additionally, relaxation becomes the primary motivation for travel during COVID-19, and structural constraints exert a noticeable impact on travel intentions, challenging previous assumptions. Stress levels directly influence the willingness to pay more during travel experiences, expanding the understanding of additional payment behavior in the context of travel. Conclusion: This study offers practical insights for tourism stakeholders. Recognizing and addressing boredom in marketing strategies, implementing aggressive additional payment options, and focusing on relaxation-oriented travel products are recommended to cater to post-pandemic traveler preferences and revive the tourism industry effectively.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.193-203
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• 2022

Purpose: This study explored the mediating role of resilience between post-traumatic stress and emotional exhaustion in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The data were collected from 193 nurses working at a hospital in Daegu from October 16 to 30, 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants conducted self-reported surveys of post-traumatic stress (Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version), emotional exhaustion (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and resilience (Korean Resilience Quotient Test). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency, t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Mediation analysis was performed using the Baron and Kenny method and Sobel test. Results: The mean scores for post-traumatic stress, resilience, and emotional exhaustion were 16.18±16.18, 183.41±18.29, and 32.64±9.66, respectively. A higher level of post-traumatic stress was associated with lower resilience (r=-.20, p=.004) and with higher emotional exhaustion (r=.33, p<.001). A higher level of resilience was associated with lower emotional exhaustion (r=-.35, p<.001). The resilience was confirmed to have a partial mediating effect in the relationship between post-traumatic stress and emotional exhaustion, verified by the Sobel test (Z=2.31, p=.02). Conclusion: Resilience had a partial mediating effect in the relationship between post-traumatic stress and emotional exhaustion. Thus, nurses should develop individual strengths to reduce emotional exhaustion, and managers should also make efforts to increase the nurses' resilience. It is also necessary to develop and apply a program to strengthen nurses' resilience.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.458-467
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• 2022

Background: Few studies have investigated unspecified or idiopathic pain associated with COIVD-19. This study aimed to provide the incidence rates of unspecified pain and idiopathic pain in patients with COVID-19 for 90 days after COVID-19 diagnosis. Methods: A propensity score matched cohort was used, including all patients with COVID-19 in South Korea, and analyzed their electronic medical records. The control group consisted of those who had not had tests for COVID-19 at all. Unspecified pain diagnoses consisted of diagnoses related to pain included in the ICD-10 Chapter XVIII. Idiopathic pain disorders included fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint disorders, headaches, chronic prostatitis, complex regional pain syndrome, atypical facial pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis. Results: After matching, the number of participants in each group was 7,911. For most unspecified pain, the incidences were higher in the COVID-19 group (11.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0-12.5) than in the control group (6.5%; 95% CI, 6.0-7.1). For idiopathic pain, only the headaches had a significantly higher incidence in the COVID-19 group (6.6%; 95% CI, 6.1-7.2) than in the control group (3.7%; 95% CI, 3.3-4.1). However, using a different control group that included only patients who visited a hospital at least once for any reasons, the incidences of most unspecified and idiopathic pain were higher in the control group than in the COVID-19 group. Conclusions: Patients with COVID-19 might be at a higher risk of experiencing unspecified pain in the acute phase or after recovery compared with individuals who had not had tests for COVID-19.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.242-246
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to report on the clinical improvement of a patient treated with Korean medicine for Post COVID-19 syndrome. A 52-year-old male patient with headache and chronic fatigue was diagnosed with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. He had clinical symptoms such as headache, sweating, fatigue, and insomnia and was treated with acupuncture and herbal medicines such as Sasammaekmoondong-tang. To assess the treatment outcomes, the authors used the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Numeral Rating Scale (NRS). Following treatment, fatigue improved, with the FSS score dropping from 48 at the first visit to 18 at the final visit, and clinical symptoms such as headache and insomnia disappeared. According to the findings of this study, Korean Medicine could be used in the clinic to treat post-COVID-19 complications.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.132-148
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical features of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and the effectiveness and safety of Korean medicine treatment at the Public health center. Methods: The study was conducted among 11 patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome who attended a single public health center from January to December 2022. We retrospectively analyzed the charts of 11 patients and collected clinical characteristics, previous treatments, Korean medicine treatments, outcome variables (Numeral Rating Scale (NRS), Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), Visual Analog Scale (VAS)), adverse events, etc. Results: Of the 11 patients, six were women, and the average age of all patients was 68.27±12.31 years. The most common symptom were cough(n=9, 81.82%) and sore throat(n=9, 81.82%), followed by sputum, fatigue, rhinorrhea, and loss of appetite, etc. All 11 patients were treated with herbal medicine, with Samso-eum(n=6, 54.55%), Yeonkyopaedok-san(n=5, 45.45%), and Haengso-tang(n=3, 27.27%) being the most commonly used. After herbal medicine treatment, the median cough NRS decreased from 5 to 1, and the median sore throat NRS decreased from 4 to 1, both of which were statistically significant. One patient reported adverse event of dyspepsia and heartburn, but it was mild. Conclusions: The study presented the clinical features of the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and suggested that Korean medicine treatment at public health centers may be effective and safe in alleviating associated symptoms.