• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제86권2호
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• pp.102-110
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• 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major health burden worldwide, with over 600 million confirmed cases and 6 million deaths by 15 December 2022. Although the acute phase of COVID-19 management has been established, the long-term clinical course and complications due to the relatively short outbreak is yet to be assessed. The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing significant morbidity and mortality around the world. Interestingly, epidemiological studies have shown that fatality rates vary considerably across different countries, and men and elderly patients are at higher risk of developing severe diseases. There is increasing evidence that COVID-19 infection causes neurological deficits in a substantial proportion to patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome. Furthermore, lack of physical activity and smoking are associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) susceptibility. We should therefore explore why lack of physical activity, smoking, etc causing a population more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and mechanism involved. Thus, in this review article, we summarize epidemiological evidence related to risk factors and lifestyle that affect COVID-19 severity and the mechanism involved. These risk factors or lifestyle interventions include smoking, cardiovascular health, obesity, exercise, environmental pollution, psychosocial social stress, and diet.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제64권12호
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• pp.652-660
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• 2021

Background: Viral load and shedding duration are highly associated with the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, limited studies have reported on viral load or shedding in children and adolescents infected with sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the natural course of viral load in asymptomatic or mild pediatric cases. Methods: Thirty-one children (<18 years) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were hospitalized and enrolled in this study. Viral loads were evaluated in nasopharyngeal swab samples using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (E, RdRp, N genes). cycle threshold (Ct) values were measured when patients met the clinical criteria to be released from quarantine. Results: The mean age of the patients was 9.8 years, 18 (58%) had mild disease, and 13 (42%) were asymptomatic. Most children were infected by adult family members, most commonly by their mothers. The most common symptoms were fever and sputum (26%), followed by cough and runny nose. Nine patients (29%) had a high or intermediate viral load (Ct value≤30) when they had no clinical symptoms. Viral load showed no difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Viral rebounds were found in 15 cases (48%), which contributed to prolonged viral detection. The mean duration of viral detection was 25.6 days. Viral loads were significantly lower in patients with viral rebounds than in those with no rebound (E, P=0.003; RdRp, P=0.01; N, P=0.02). Conclusion: Our study showed that many pediatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experienced viral rebound and showed viral detection for more than 3 weeks. Further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between viral rebound and infectiousness in COVID-19.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.180-187
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• 2023

2023년 9월까지 19세이하소아청소년인구의 90% 이상에서코로나바이러스감염증-19 (coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19) 감염력이 있으며, 그중 40-60%에서 두통, 경련발작, 뇌염 등의 신경학적 증상이 보고되고 있다. 본 증례에서 저자들은 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 감염 후 경련과 의식 변화로 내원, COVID-19 뇌염으로 진단하여 정맥내 면역글로불린, 고용량 스테로이드, 항바이러스제, 항경련제 투여 등의 적극적인 치료로 회복된 3세 여자 환자를 보고하고자 한다. 환자는 입원 39일차 말하기와 혼자 걷기가 가능한 상태로 퇴원하였고 발병 1년이 지난 시점, 경한 언어 지연을 보이나 전반적으로 좋은 예후를 보이고 있다. COVID-19 뇌염 환자에서 조기 발견과 적극적인 치료가 긍정적인 예후와 연관됨을 본 증례를 통하여 보고하는 바이다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.427-438
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• 2020

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infects the lower respiratory airway of humans, leading to severe acute respiratory failure. Unlike human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (hDPP4), a receptor for MERS-CoV, mouse DPP4 (mDPP4) failed to support MERS-CoV infection. Consequently, diverse transgenic mouse models expressing hDPP4 have been developed using diverse methods, although some models show no mortality and/or only transient and mild-to-moderate clinical signs following MERS-CoV infection. Additionally, overexpressed hDPP4 is associated with neurological complications and breeding difficulties in some transgenic mice, resulting in impeding further studies. Here, we generated stable hDPP4-transgenic mice that were sufficiently susceptible to MERS-CoV infection. The transgenic mice showed weight loss, decreased pulmonary function, and increased mortality with minimal perturbation of overexpressed hDPP4 after MERS-CoV infection. In addition, we observed histopathological signs indicative of progressive pulmonary fibrosis, including thickened alveolar septa, infiltration of inflammatory monocytes, and macrophage polarization as well as elevated expression of profibrotic molecules and acute inflammatory response in the lung of MERS-CoV-infected hDPP4-transgenic mice. Collectively, we suggest that this hDPP4-transgenic mouse is useful in understanding the pathogenesis of MERS-CoV infection and for antiviral research and vaccine development against the virus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.267-273
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• 2013

Multiplex RT-PCR was used to detect respiratory viruses in 5,318 clinical samples referred to the laboratory of a tertiary teaching hospital from December 2006 to November 2010. The acquired data were analyzed with respect to types, ratio, and co-infection trends of infected respiratory viruses. Trends in respiratory viral infection according to sex, age, and period of infection were also analyzed. Of the 5,318 submitted clinical samples, 3,350 (63.0%) specimens were positive for at least one respiratory virus. The infection rates were 15.8% for human rhinovirus, 14.4% for human respiratory syncytial virus A, 9.7% for human respiratory syncytial virus B, 10.1% for human adenovirus, 5.4% for influenza A virus, 1.7% for influenza B virus, 4.7% for human metapneumovirus, 2.3% for human coronavirus OC43, 1.9% for human coronavirus 229E/NL63, 3.7% for human parainfluenza virus (HPIV)-1, 1.1% for HPIV-2, and 5.3% for HPIV-3. The co-infection analysis showed 17.1% of double infections, 1.8% of triple infections. The median age of virus-positive patients was 1.3 years old, and the 91.5% of virus-positive patients were under 10 years old. Human respiratory syncytial virus was the most common virus in children < 5 years of age and the influenza A virus was most prevalent virus in children over 5 years of age. These results help in elucidating the tendency of respiratory viral infections.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
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• 제22권9호
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• pp.602-613
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• 2022

본 연구는 병원 간호사를 대상으로 감염관리 조직문화, 자원의 지원, 코로나19 지식, 회복탄력성이 COVID-19 감염관리 수행에 영향을 미치는 요인을 파악하고자 시도되었다. 2022년 7월 27일부터 8월 10일까지 자가보고식 설문지를 통해 총 150명의 간호사에게 데이터를 수집하였으며, 그 중 147명의 자료가 연구에 활용되었다. 다중회귀분석에서 자원의 지원과 코로나19 지식, 회복탄력성이 코로나19 감염관리 수행의 의미 있는 요인으로 분석되었다. 지속되는 코로나19 팬데믹 상황에서 간호사의 코로나19 감염관리 수행을 향상시키기 위해 조직 차원의 지원과 개인의 감염관리 역량을 증가시킬 수 있는 전략을 위한 프로그램 개발 및 평가가 필요하다.

• 미래기술융합논문지
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.25-32
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• 2023

본 연구는 응급구조(학)과 대학생을 대상으로 코로나19에 대한 지식 및 태도와 감염관리 수행도 간의 관련성을 알아보기 위해 시행하였다. 연구 대상은 전라남북도, 광주광역시에 소재한 3-4년제 응급구조(학)과에 재학 중인 대학생 154명이고, 수집된 자료는 SPSS/WIN 16.0을 이용하여 빈도와 백분율, 합(Sum), 평균 및 표준편차, t-test, ANOVA(Scheffe), Pearson's Correlation Coefficient, Multiple Linear Regression으로 분석하였다. 응급구조(학)과 대학생들의 감염관리 수행도에 코로나19에 대한 태도와 지식 순으로 영향을 미쳤다. 따라서 응급구조(학)과 대학생들의 감염관리 수행도를 높이기 위해 코로나19에 대한 지식 및 태도를 향상시킬 수 있는 정규 또는 비정규 교육과정, 다학제적 교육과정 개발 및 적용이 필요하다.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제15권sup1호
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• pp.1-21
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• 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put focus on the importance of a healthy immune system for recovery from infection and effective response to vaccination. Several nutrients have been under attention because their nutritional statuses showed associations with the incidence or severity of COVID-19 or because they affect several aspects of immune function. Nutritional status, immune function, and viral infection are closely interrelated. Undernutrition impairs immune function, which can lead to increased susceptibility to viral infection, while viral infection itself can result in changes in nutritional status. Here, we review the roles of vitamins A, C, D, and E, and zinc, iron, and selenium in immune function and viral infection and their relevance to COVID-19.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.61-69
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• 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a global pandemic for over 2 years. During the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant-predominant period in South Korea, confirmed cases among children and adolescents surged. This review found that, although younger children may be less susceptible to COVID-19 than adolescents, more research is needed on the role of children and adolescents in the disease's spread. Detailed epidemiological information about the transmissibility of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain in children and adolescents is currently scarce, and more research is needed on the role of children and adolescents in disease's spread. There may be a difference in the proportion of cases with severe disease requiring hospitalization depending on the dominant mutant strain; however, COVID-19 generally presents with a mild-to-moderate course in children aged 5-11 years old.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.537-540
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• 2020

Recently, some global cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia have been caused by second- or third-generation transmission of the viral infection, resulting in no traceable epidemiological history. Owing to the complications of COVID-19 pneumonia, the first symptom and imaging features of patients can be very atypical and early diagnosis of COVID-19 infections remains a challenge. It would aid radiologists and clinicians to be aware of the early atypical symptom and imaging features of the disease and contribute to the prevention of infected patients being missed.