• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.211-222
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• 2022

After more than two years of efforts to end the corona pandemic, a gradual recovery is starting in countries with high vaccination rates. Easing public health policies for a full-fledged post-corona era, such as lifting the mandatory use of outdoor mask and quarantine measures in entry have been considered in Korea. However, the continuous emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 and limitations in vaccine efficacy still remain challenging. Fortunately, T cells and memory T cells, which are key components of adaptive immunity appear to contribute substantially in COVID-19 control. SARS-CoV-2 specific CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cells are induced by natural infection or vaccination, and rapid induction and activation of T cells is mainly associated with viral clearance and attenuated clinical severity. In addition, T cell responses induced by recognition of a wide range of epitopes were minimally affected and conserved against the highly infectious subsets of omicron variants. Polyfunctional SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell memory including stem cell-like memory T cells were also developed in COVID-19 convalescent patients, suggesting long lasting protective T cell immunity. Thus, a robust T-cell immune response appears to serve as a reliable and long-term component of host protection in the context of reduced efficacy of humoral immunity and persistent mutations and/or immune escape.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.44.1-44.7
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• 2020

The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), greatly varies from patient to patient. In the present study, we explored and compared mutation profiles of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from mildly affected and severely affected COVID-19 patients in order to explore any relationship between mutation profile and disease severity. Genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 were downloaded from Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) database. With the help of Genome Detective Coronavirus Typing Tool, genomic sequences were aligned with the Wuhan seafood market pneumonia virus reference sequence and all the mutations were identified. Distribution of mutant variants was then compared between mildly and severely affected groups. Among the numerous mutations detected, 14408C>T and 23403A>G mutations resulting in RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) P323L and spike protein D614G mutations, respectively, were found predominantly in severely affected group (>82%) compared with mildly affected group (<46%, p < 0.001). The 241C>T mutation in the non-coding region of the genome was also found predominantly in severely affected group (p < 0.001). The 3037C>T, a silent mutation, also appeared in relatively high frequency in severely affected group compared with mildly affected group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). We concluded that spike protein D614G and RdRp P323L mutations in SARS-CoV-2 are associated with severity of COVID-19. Further studies will be required to explore whether these mutations have any impact on the severity of disease.

• 대기
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.51-60
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• 2022

Corona Virus Disease 19 pandemic (COVID-19) causes many deaths worldwide, and has enormous impacts on society and economy. The COVID-19 was caused by a new type of coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Cornonavirus 2; SARS-CoV-2), which has been found that these viruses can be effectively inactivated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation of 290~315 nm. In this study, 90% inactivation time of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was analyzed using ground observation data from Brewer spectrophotometer at Yonsei University, Seoul and simulation data from UVSPEC for the period of 2015~2017 and 2020. Based on 12:00-13:00 noon time, the shortest virus inactivation time were estimated as 13.5 minutes in June and 4.8 minutes in July/August, respectively, under all sky and clear sky conditions. In the diurnal and seasonal variations, SARS-CoV-2 could be inactivated by 90% when exposed to UV radiation within 60 minutes from 10:00 to 14:00, for the period of spring to autumn. However, in winter season, the natural prevention effect was meaningless because the intensity of UV radiation weakened, and the time required for virus inactivation increased. The spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 is related to various and complex interactions of several variables, but the natural inactivation of viruses by UV radiation presented in this study, especially seasonal differences, need to be considered as major variables.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제43권11호
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• pp.953-963
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an infectious disease with multiple severe symptoms, such as fever over 37.5℃, cough, dyspnea, and pneumonia. In our research, microRNAs (miRNAs) binding to the genome sequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2 were identified by bioinformatic tools. Five miRNAs (hsa-miR-15a-5p, hsa-miR-15b-5p, hsa-miR-195-5p, hsa-miR-16-5p, and hsa-miR-196a-1-3p) were found to commonly bind to SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. We also identified miRNAs that bind to receptor proteins, such as ACE2, ADAM17, and TMPRSS2, which are important for understanding the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2. The expression patterns of those miRNAs were examined in hamster lung samples infected by SARS-CoV-2. Five miRNAs (hsa-miR-15b-5p, hsa-miR-195-5p, hsa-miR-221-3p, hsa-miR-140-3p, and hsa-miR-422a) showed differential expression patterns in lung tissues before and after infection. Especially, hsa-miR-15b-5p and hsa-miR-195-5p showed a large difference in expression, indicating that they may potentially be diagnostic biomarkers for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

• 셀메드
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.21.1-21.8
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• 2020

Over a span of few decades, the world has seen the emergence of new viruses that have posed serious problems to global health .COVID-19 is a major pathogenic threat to the modern world that primarily shoots the respiratory system of human beings. Wuhan which is the capital city of Hubei, China was the first place in the world where first cases of COVID-19 emerged and the scores of cases significantly increased at an immense rate leading to city isolation and establishment of new specially designed hospitals. SARS-CoV had emerged from bats in china (2002) and MERS-CoV from camels transmitted via bats in Middle East (2012) where the previous versions of COVID-19 took place. Infections with SARS-CoV-2 are now widespread, like Nuclear Chain Reaction (NRC). In this review we will discuss the COVID-19 origin, transmission, incubation, diagnosis and therapies available at the present scenario.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.38.1-38.8
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• 2021

Recently, a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (B.1.1.529) Omicron variant originated from South Africa in the middle of November 2021. SARS-CoV-2 is also called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19. Several studies already suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant would be the fastest transmissible variant compared to the previous 10 SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, interest, and alert. Few clinical studies reported the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant but there is insufficient time to perform actual experiments to prove it, since the spread is so fast. We analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which revealed a very high rate of mutation at amino acid residues that interact with angiostatin-converting enzyme 2. The mutation rate of COVID-19 is faster than what we prepared vaccine program, antibody therapy, lockdown, and quarantine against COVID-19 so far. Thus, it is necessary to find better strategies to overcome the current crisis of COVID-19 pandemic.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제84권1호
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• pp.22-34
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• 2021

The coronavirus pandemic, known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is an infectious respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus first identified in patients from Wuhan, China. Since December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has spread swiftly around the world, infected more than 25 million people, and caused more than 800,000 deaths in 188 countries. Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) appear to be risk factors for COVID-19, however, their prevalence remains controversial. In fact, studies in China reported lower rates of chronic respiratory conditions in patients with COVID-19 than in the general population, while the trend is reversed in the United States and Europe. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms of a possible interaction between COVID-19 and chronic respiratory diseases remain unknown, some observations can help to elucidate them. Indeed, physiological changes, immune response, or medications used against SARS-CoV-2 may have a greater impact on patients with chronic respiratory conditions already debilitated by chronic inflammation, dyspnea, and the use of immunosuppressant drugs like corticosteroids. In this review, we discuss importance and the impact of COVID-19 on asthma and COPD patients, the possible available treatments, and patient management during the pandemic.

• 한국컴퓨터정보학회논문지
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• 제26권8호
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• pp.91-101
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• 2021

본 논문은 COVID-19로 인해 세계적인 팬데믹(Pandamic)을 경험하게 되면서 보건 분야, 정책 분야 등에 있어 포스트 코로나(Post-Corona)를 준비하기 위한 시사점을 도출하고자 한다. 국내 감염병 방역체계가 가동되었던 SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19)의 3개 감염병에 대해 발병 1년간의 시기적인 분석을 통해 언론사 뉴스 및 트렌드를 분석해보자는 것이다. 이를 위해 한국언론진흥재단 '빅카인즈' 뉴스 분석 프로그램을 활용하여 각 감염병이 국내에 영향이 미치던 시기를 기준점으로 1년간의 뉴스 기사 건수를 수치화하고 주요 트렌드를 워드클라우드로 구현하여 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 감염병과 관련한 기사 건수는 세계보건기구(WHO)의 경고 선언 및 (의심)확진자 발생 시점에 정점을 기록하였다. 키워드와 워드클라우드 분석에 따르면 감염병에 대한 '발병지 및 주요 유행지역', '방역당국', '질병정보 및 확진자 정보' 등이 주요한 공통점으로 나타났으며, 3개 감염병에서 차이점을 도출하였다. 아울러, 불확실 정보에 대하여 워드클라우드 분석을 수행함으로써 인포데믹 현황을 파악하였다. 본 연구결과는 앞서 경험하고 있는 감염병을 통해서 새로운 질병이 대유행할 시 선행되어야 하는 보건당국, 언론의 역할 및 재정비되어야 할 영역을 도출할 수 있었다는 점에서 의의를 갖는다.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.155-160
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• 2022

코로나19로 확진된 소아와 청소년은 대개 경한 증상을 나타내며 SARS-CoV-2 감염으로 인한 다기관 기능부전은 매우 드물다. 저자들은 코로나19 예방접종을 완료한 16세 청소년에게서 발생한 다기관을 침범한 심한 SARS-CoV-2 감염에 대해 보고하고자 한다. 환자는 내원 당시 의식이 없었으며 심한 마비성장폐색증이 있었다. 혈액검사 상 심한 대사성 산증과 함께 림프구감소증, 혈소판감소증, 염증 수치 상승, 간수치 상승, 단백뇨와 혈뇨가 동반된 급성 신손상의 증거가 있었다. 환자의 상태는 렘데시비르와 덱사메타손 투여와 함께 점차 호전되었다. 코로나19 확진 2주 후에 환자는 다기관염증증후군을 짧게 경험하였으나 특별한 합병증 없이 퇴원하였다.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.337-345
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• 2023

Purpose: The global fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has led to widespread vaccination efforts, yet the optimal dosing schedule for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines remains a subject of ongoing research. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of administering two booster doses as the third and fourth doses at different intervals to enhance vaccine protection. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at a military regional hospital operated by the Ministry of National Defense in Taiwan. A cohort of vaccinated individuals was selected, and their vaccine potency was assessed at various time intervals following their initial vaccine administration. The study participants received booster doses as the third and fourth doses, with differing time intervals between them. The study monitored neutralizing antibody titers and other relevant parameters to assess vaccine efficacy. Results: Our findings revealed that the potency of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine exhibited a significant decline 80 days after the initial vaccine administration. However, a longer interval of 175 days between booster injections resulted in significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers. The individuals who received the extended interval boosters exhibited a more robust immune response, suggesting that a vaccine schedule with a 175-day interval between injections may provide superior protection against SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of optimizing vaccine booster dosing schedules to maximize protection against SARS-CoV-2. The results indicate that a longer interval of 175 days between the third and fourth doses of the vaccine can significantly enhance the neutralizing antibody response, potentially offering improved protection against the virus. These findings have important implications for vaccine distribution and administration strategies in the ongoing battle against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Further research and largescale trials are needed to confirm and extend these findings for broader public health implications.