• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.511-524
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• 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a threat to human health and public safety. People of all ages are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. However, the clinical manifestations of this infection differ by age. This study purposes to describe healthcare considerations for special populations, such as children, pregnant and lactating women, and older adults, who may have unique healthcare needs, in the pandemic situation. To realize the research purpose, we conducted a review of the practice guidelines of public documents and qualified studies that were published online/offline during a specific period. The review identified current knowledge on care for newborns, children in schools, pregnant women (from antenatal to postpartum care), and older adults suffering from high-risk conditions. Subsequently, we summarize vaccination guidance for special populations and, finally, discuss the issues currently affecting special populations. Therefore, this current knowledge on care for special populations helps nurses to provide accurate information on vaccinations aimed at preventing COVID-19 and protecting the masses from infection. Currently, the scarcity of information on COVID-19 variants necessitates further research on measures to reduce pandemic spread.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.344-346
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• 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread worldwide, leading the World Health Organization to declare coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. To curb the unchecked spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, most countries have enforced travel restrictions. However, it is debatable whether such restrictions are effective in containing infections and preventing pandemics. Rather, they may negatively impact economies and diplomatic relationships. Each government should conduct an extensive and appropriate analysis of its national economy, diplomatic status, and COVID-19 preparedness to decide whether it is best to restrict entering travelers. Even if travelers from other countries are allowed entry, extensive contact tracing is required to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition, governments can implement "travel bubbles," which allow the quarantine-free flow of people among countries with relatively low levels of community transmission. An accurate evaluation of the benefits and losses due to entry restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic would be helpful in determining whether entry restrictions are an effective measure to reduce the spread of infection in future pandemics.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.149-157
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• 2021

One year has passed since the pandemic of COVID-19, which occurred in Wuhan, China, in November 2019 began. Worldwide, as of January 2021, more than 95 million people have been infected, and the death toll is higher than 2 million. In Korea, there are 74,262 infected and 1,328 dead, and government policies such as social distancing to prevent infection are being implemented. Accordingly, many inconveniences occurred in the physical activity environment, such as the closure of various sports facilities. It was necessary to consider physical activities to maintain healthy life while cooperating with the national policy while preventing infection. This study investigated the benefits of physical activity to reduce the risk of trichomoniasis and diabetes, improve bone mineral density, prolong healthy lifespan, maintain activity performance with aging, and improve psychological anxiety and depression. In addition, the physiological changes that may occur in the situation of stopping exercise due to social distancing to prevent COVID-19 infection were reviewed. In addition, moderate-intensity exercise that helps strengthen immune function by activating natural killer cells, neutrophils, and antibody responses was investigated. In addition, it reduces the level and function of blood B-cells, T-cells, and natural killer cells for several hours, decreases phagocytosis of neutrophils in the nasal cavity, increases inflammatory cytokines, decreases immune function, and increases infection. High-intensity exercise was considered. Therefore, in the age of COVID-19, long-term high-intensity exercise such as marathon, which causes impaired immune function, should be refrained from. And you should do moderate-intensity regular aerobic exercise such as fast walking to help prevent infection. It is also recommended to participate in resistance exercises to prevent loss of muscle mass.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2021

Purpose: To identify the differences in perception of and adherence to the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guidelines among health care workers, patients, and the general public and to use them to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Methods: From October 16 2020 to November 30, 2020, a survey was conducted among 85 health care workers, 85 patients, and 82 general public regarding the perception of and adherence to the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guidelines. Results: Patients scored significantly higher than the general public in the adherence to the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline, and there was no difference between health care workers and general public, and patients and health care workers. In the multivariate analysis, the factors that influence the adherence of the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guide were found in women and the perception of the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline. Conclusion: In order to promote the implementation of the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline, it is necessary to increase the perception of the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline and provide additional education in men. It is necessary to investigate the reason behind why men have low adherence to the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2022

This study is a descriptive study to investigate factors affecting the level of performance of COVID-19 infection prevention activities among nurses. The participants were 190 nurses at a tertiary hospital located in Daejeon city and data collection was performed during March, 2021. The results showed that the factors affecting the level of performance of infection prevention activities were age(β=.25, p=.008), working unit(β=.15, p=.046), and hospital safety climate(β=.17, p=.025). Therefore, in order to improve the level of performance of infection prevention activities among hospital nurses, education and policy to establish a hospital safety climate should be implemented.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.384-391
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• 2021

The recent appearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected millions of people around the world and caused a global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has been suggested that uncontrolled, exaggerated inflammation contributes to the adverse outcomes of COVID-19. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the innate immune response elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection and the hyperinflammation that contributes to disease severity and death. We also discuss the immunological determinants behind COVID-19 severity and propose a rationale for the underlying mechanisms.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.127-134
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• 2024

The acute respiratory infection known as a coronavirus (COVID-19) may present with a wide range of clinical manifestations, ranging from no symptoms at all to severe pneumonia and even death. Expert medical systems, particularly those used in the diagnostic and monitoring phases of treatment, have the potential to provide beneficial results in the fight against COVID-19. The significance of healthcare mobile technologies, as well as the advantages they provide, are quickly growing, particularly when such applications are linked to the internet of things. This research work presents a knowledge-based smart system for the primary diagnosis of COVID-19. The system uses symptoms that manifest in the patient to make an educated guess about the severity of the COVID-19 infection. The proposed inference system can assist individuals in self-diagnosing their conditions and can also assist medical professionals in identifying the ailment. The system is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, with the goal of increasing the speed and accuracy of COVID-19 diagnosis. With the current global pandemic, early identification of COVID-19 is essential to regulate and break the cycle of transmission of the disease. The results of this research demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of using a knowledge-based smart system for COVID-19 diagnosis, and the system has the potential to improve the overall response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, these sorts of knowledge-based smart technologies have the potential to be useful in preventing the deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.513-523
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, hospitals have implemented infection control measures to minimize the spread of the virus within facilities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and common respiratory virus (cRV) infections in hematology units. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients hospitalized in Catholic Hematology Hospital between 2019 and 2020. Patients infected with vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and cRV were analyzed. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) methods and interrupted time series analyses were performed to compare the incidence rates before and after the pandemic. Results: The incidence rates of CPE and VRE did not differ between the two periods. However, the incidence of CDI increased significantly (IRR: 1.41 [p = 0.002]) after the COVID-19 pandemic. The incidence of cRV infection decreased by 76% after the COVID-19 outbreak (IRR: 0.240 [p < 0.001]). The incidence of adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus infection significantly decreased in the COVID-19 period (IRRs: 0.087 [p = 0.003], 0.031 [p < 0.001], and 0.149 [p < 0.001], respectively). Conclusions: The implementation of COVID-19 infection control measures reduced the incidence of cRV infection. However, CDI increased significantly and incidence rates of CPE and VRE remained unchanged in hematological patients after the pandemic. Infection control measures suitable for each type of HCAI, such as stringent hand washing for CDI and enough isolation capacities, should be implemented and maintained in future pandemics, especially in immunocompromised patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.245-250
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• 2021

Objectives: Jeju Province in Korea reported 627 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases between January 20, 2020, and March 31, 2021. This study analyzed the sources of infection among confirmed cases in Jeju Province, a self-governed island. Methods: The sources of infection were broadly categorized as follows: (1) infections from overseas (confirmed patients who reported travel overseas or contact with overseas travelers); (2) infections from outside Jeju Province (confirmed patients who had visited other provinces or had contact with individuals who had traveled to other provinces in Korea); and (3) unknown sources of infection (confirmed patients who were infected following contact with an infected person whose source of infection was unknown). The chi-square test was used to analyze the differences in the distributions of related variables for each source of infection. Results: Of the 627 confirmed cases, 38 (6.1%) were infections from overseas sources, 199 (31.7%) were from outside of Jeju Province, and 390 (62.2%) were from unknown sources. Jeju Province had no cases with an unknown source of infection during the first and second waves of the nationwide outbreak. Conclusions: Infections from overseas sources could be blocked from spreading to local communities in Jeju Province by conducting screening at the airport, along with the preemptive suspension of visa-free entry. In addition, considering the scale of the nationwide outbreak, measures must be established to delay outbreaks from unknown sources of infection caused by sources outside Jeju Province.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1843-1853
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• 2020

COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has spread globally and caused serious social and economic problems. The WHO has declared this outbreak a pandemic. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or antiviral drugs that prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Drugs already approved for clinical use would be ideal candidates for rapid development as COVID-19 treatments. In this work, we screened 1,473 FDA-approved drugs to identify inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection using cell-based assays. The antiviral activity of each compound was measured based on the immunofluorescent staining of infected cells using anti-dsRNA antibody. Twenty-nine drugs among those tested showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. We report this new list of inhibitors to quickly provide basic information for consideration in developing potential therapies.