• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.171-179
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• 2020

Purpose: In Korea, seasonal influenza is an important respiratory illness afflicting children every year. We aimed to investigate the childhood epidemiology in Jeju during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. Methods: Children aged <13 years, who were tested for influenza at the Jeju National University Hospital during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 influenza seasons, were included. Demographics and the influenza test results were retrospectively reviewed from their medical records. Results: This study included 5,219 cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) (2017-2018: n=2,279; 2018-2019: n=2,940). The mean age of the eligible children was 2.85±2.79 years, and the most common age among ILI patients in each season was 1 year group. There were 902 (17.3%, 902/5,219) confirmed influenza cases during the 2 seasons. The rate of influenza confirmed by rapid influenza diagnostic test or polymerase chain reaction among ILI patients in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons was 10.4% (236/2,279) and 10.3% (303/2,940) for influenza A, and 9.1% (208/2,279) and 5.3% (155/2,940) for influenza B, respectively. The mean age of influenza-confirmed cases was 4.09 years and 5.05 years in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons, respectively (P<0.05). Weekly distribution of influenza was similar to that of ILI in the clinical sentinel surveillance system in both seasons. Conclusion: The difference in the influenza epidemic trend and age-group distribution between the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons was distinct in Jeju. Steady epidemiological studies on influenza in Jeju are needed for comparison with other regions of Korea.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2022

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in children aged 5-11 years, a rapid systematic review was conducted on published clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines and studies that analyzed real-world data on adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on medical literature in international (Ovid-MEDLINE) and pre-published literature databases (medRxiv), followed by handsearching up to January 4, 2022. We used terms including COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and vaccines, and the certainty of evidence was graded using the GRADE approach. Results: A total of 1,675 studies were identified, of which five were finally selected. Among the five studies, four consisted of data from clinical trials of each of the four types of COVID-19 vaccines (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, CoronaVac, and BBIBP-CorV). The remaining study consisted of real-world data on the safety of the BNT162b2 vaccine in children aged 5-11 years. This systematic review identified that COVID-19 vaccines in recipients aged 5-11 years produced a favorable immune response, and were vaccines were effective against COVID-19. The safety findings for the BNT162b2 vaccine in children and early adolescents aged 5-11 years were similar to those data noted in the clinical trial. Conclusions: There is limited data on COVID-19 vaccines in children aged 5-11 years. Consequently continuous and comprehensive monitoring is necessary for the evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.477-485
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• 2020

This study is a random allocation similar experimental study to compare and analyze the difference in BVM (Bag-Valve-Mask) ventilation volume according to the characteristics of the rescuer's hand and the type of mask using a standardized mannequin. To this end, the Basic Life Resuscitation Education Center of D University in gwangju. Recruiting 39 students who have completed the basic resuscitation course for emergency medical personnel and the Korean-style specialized cardiac rescue course, In addition to measuring the physical characteristics of the hand, the average amount of ventilation per minute using a bag-mask was measured and analyzed. As a result, the type of mask that was not most affected by the characteristics of the hand and provided adequate Minute Ventilation was the soft type (tube, silicone) mask. On the other hard (tube, silicone) masks were found to be unsuitable for general use as they were greatly affected by the characteristics of workers' hands. COVID-19 is currently increasing the risk of transmission to paramedics and patients. Considering this situation, the universal use of a semi-permanent hard-type mask, which is disadvantageous not only for preventing infection but also for proper ventilation, should be avoided. In addition to the ease of use, it should be actively utilized in the field by supplying a soft type mask that can provide stable ventilation even with 'predominance recognition' and proper ventilation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.79-94
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• 2022

Due to the highly contagious nature and severity of the respiratory diseases caused by COVID-19, economical and accurate tests are required to better monitor and prevent the spread of this contagion. As the structural and molecular properties of SARS-CoV-2 were being revealed during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, many manufacturers of COVID-19 diagnostic kits actively invested in the design, development, validation, verification, and implementation of diagnostic tests. Currently, diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 are the most widely used and validated techniques for rapid antigen, and immuno-serological assays for specific IgG and IgM antibody tests and molecular diagnostic tests. Molecular diagnostic assays are the gold standard for direct detection of viral RNA in individuals suspected to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. Antibody-based serological tests are indirect tests applied to determine COVID-19 prevalence in the community and identify individuals who have obtained immunity. In the future, it is necessary to explore technical problems encountered in the early stages of global or regional outbreaks of pandemics and provide future directions for better diagnostic tests. This article evaluates the commercially available and FDA-approved molecular and immunological diagnostic assays and analyzes their performance characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.145-154
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• 2022

Objectives : This study intends to assess the associations among perceived stigma at the time of infection, coping strategies adopted 12 months later and depressive and posttraumatic symptoms 24 months later in Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) survivors. Methods : A nationwide cohort study was conducted on 63 survivors of 2015 MERS outbreak. Demographic data, illness severity of MERS, depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms, coping strategies and MERS-related stigma were collected 12 and 24 months after the MERS outbreak, respectively. Results : Higher levels of perceived stigma at the time of outbreak were associated with higher levels of dysfunctional coping strategies after 12 months (p=0.003) and more severe depressive (p=0.058) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (p=0.011) after 24 months. Moreover, higher levels of dysfunctional coping strategies after 12 months were significantly associated with more severe depressive (p=0.002) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (p<0.001) after 24 months. Conclusions : Social stigma against people who have contracted an emerging infectious disease can leave a negative impact on the mental health of the survivors in the long term. In case of novel pandemics in the future, prompt rectification of stigma and promotion of adaptive coping strategies in survivors are needed.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.96-109
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• 2023

Objectives : The objective of this study is to predict how future infectious diseases will affect healthcare utilization patterns within korean medicine hospitals and, specifically, departments of ophthalmology, otolaryngology and dermatology of Korean medicine. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients who visited Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital during Pre COVID-19(from March 1st, 2018 to Feb 29th, 2019) and Post COVID-19(from March 1st, 2019 to Feb 28th, 2022). The data was analyzed by visit type and diagnosed disease code. Results : 1. After the COVID-19 break-out, the number of first visit patients increased but those of revisit patients, total patients, and revisit/first visit ratio decreased in all departments. 2. In Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital, the decrease rate of the number of total patients diagnosed with diseases of respiratory system(J00-J99) was the highest, while that for diseases of circulatory system(I00-I99) was the lowest. 3. In the department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology of Korean Medicine, the decrease rate of the number of total patients with nose disease was the highest, followed by eye disease and ear disease. 4. In the department of Dermatology of Korean Medicine, the number of total patients with dermatitis remained consistent, while the number of total patients with skin appendage disease showed relatively high decrease rate. Conclusions : Severe or chronic diseases showed relatively low decrease rate of the number of total patients. While mild diseases or diseases with high probability of exposure to COVID-19 infection during treatment showed high decrease rate of the number of total patients.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.389-401
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• 2021

This study was performed to generate basic data to establish a health promotion plan for residents of Chungcheongbuk-do by identifying characteristics of discharged patients residing in the Chungcheongbuk-do area from an In-Depth Post-Discharge Injury Survey reported by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDCP). The Report provided data on demographic characteristics, medical institution use characteristics, medical use characteristics, and disease characteristics of patients discharged from medical institutions with 100 or more beds from 2013 to 2017. The total number of Chungcheongbuk-do residents who were admitted and discharged from 2013 to 2017 was estimated to be 1,656,590, and the discharge rate was 21,089, which was higher than the national average of 13,882 in 2016. The regions where the discharge rate increased during this period include Goesan, Yeongdong, Boeun, Okcheon, Jeungpyeong, and Eumseong-gun, which are mainly rural areas. Among the patients hospitalized and discharged from hospitals outside the Chungcheongbuk-do area, the discharge rate of patients who used hospitals in Incheon/Gyeonggi areas and Daejeon/Chungnam areas increased slightly. Among the malignant tumor patients, the number of lung cancer(included trachea & bronchial cancer) patients was the highest. In addition, the discharge rate was highest for patients with respiratory diseases. This study suggests that efforts need to be made to lower the discharge rate for infection, circulatory disease, genitourinary disease, and musculoskeletal disorder patients

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.91-102
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• 2022

Many industries are being severely damaged by COVID-19, a respiratory infection that has recently been prevalent around the world. In particular, for workers in the construction industry, it is impossible to work from home, and if an outbreak on a construction site is confirmed, it can lead to great damage. Accordingly, the government has drafted 「Guidelines for Response to Construction Sites for Prevention and Spread of COVID-19」. In addition, domestic and foreign research about COVID-19 in the field of construction sites is being actively conducted. However, Korea has lacked studies on the effectiveness of the countermeasures in place at construction sites, or that reflect the opinions of construction site workers. Therefore, this study conducted a survey of construction site workers by dividing the construction of the COVID-19 quarantine management system and response plan into on-site management and social management. Through the AHP/IPA analysis, it was found that among social management, 'infectious disease management system and cooperation system with related institutions' and 'reduction of working hours' are areas with high importance but low satisfaction. After that, the causes of the two items were analyzed and related countermeasures were suggested. The results of this study will be able to contribute to the improvement of the quarantine management system and response plan at construction sites, and to minimize the damage to the construction industry related to COVID-19.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.398-408
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• 2023

This work developed a hood and filter for antibacterial protective clothing for medical powered air purifying respirators (PAPR) that can be used in medical settings and quarantine against infectious diseases such as Zika virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The hood material of the protective clothing was made of polypropylene spunlace nonwoven fabric (SFS) was used for withstand wind pressure and external physcial pressure. Forthermore, in order to reduce the user's risk of infection, phytoncide-based materials were used on the outer-surface of the hood to achieve a 99.9% antibacterial effect, and the inner-surface were treated with hydro-philic materials to improve absorbency by 25%. In addition to evaluating the artificial blood penetration resistance, dry mi-croorganism penetration resistance, wet bacteria penetration resistance, and bacteriophage penetration resistance required for medical protective clothing hoods, it received a passing evaluation of levels 2-6. Meanwhile, as a result of evaluating the performance of the antibacterial treated spunlace high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, excellent antibacterial properties, dust removal rate, and differential pressure effect were confirmed. All performance evaluations were conducted by an accredited certification body in accordance with the medical PAPR certification standards.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.994-1004
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• 2021

Objective: To extract pulmonary and cardiovascular metrics from chest CTs of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using a fully automated deep learning-based approach and assess their potential to predict patient management. Materials and Methods: All initial chest CTs of patients who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 at our emergency department between March 25 and April 25, 2020, were identified (n = 120). Three patient management groups were defined: group 1 (outpatient), group 2 (general ward), and group 3 (intensive care unit [ICU]). Multiple pulmonary and cardiovascular metrics were extracted from the chest CT images using deep learning. Additionally, six laboratory findings indicating inflammation and cellular damage were considered. Differences in CT metrics, laboratory findings, and demographics between the patient management groups were assessed. The potential of these parameters to predict patients' needs for intensive care (yes/no) was analyzed using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves. Internal and external validity were assessed using 109 independent chest CT scans. Results: While demographic parameters alone (sex and age) were not sufficient to predict ICU management status, both CT metrics alone (including both pulmonary and cardiovascular metrics; area under the curve [AUC] = 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.79-0.97) and laboratory findings alone (C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, white blood cell count, and albumin; AUC = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.77-0.94) were good classifiers. Excellent performance was achieved by a combination of demographic parameters, CT metrics, and laboratory findings (AUC = 0.91; 95% CI = 0.85-0.98). Application of a model that combined both pulmonary CT metrics and demographic parameters on a dataset from another hospital indicated its external validity (AUC = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.66-0.88). Conclusion: Chest CT of patients with COVID-19 contains valuable information that can be accessed using automated image analysis. These metrics are useful for the prediction of patient management.