• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.5.1-5.22
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• 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has developed as a pandemic, and it created an outrageous effect on the current healthcare and economic system throughout the globe. To date, there is no appropriate therapeutics or vaccines against the disease. The entire human race is eagerly waiting for the development of new therapeutics or vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Efforts are being taken to develop vaccines at a rapid rate for fighting against the ongoing pandemic situation. Amongst the various vaccines under consideration, some are either in the preclinical stage or in the clinical stages of development (phase-I, -II, and -III). Even, phase-III trials are being conducted for some repurposed vaccines like Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, polio vaccine, and measles-mumps-rubella. We have highlighted the ongoing clinical trial landscape of the COVID-19 as well as repurposed vaccines. An insight into the current status of the available antigenic epitopes for SARS-CoV-2 and different types of vaccine platforms of COVID-19 vaccines has been discussed. These vaccines are highlighted throughout the world by different news agencies. Moreover, ongoing clinical trials for repurposed vaccines for COVID-19 and critical factors associated with the development of COVID-19 vaccines have also been described.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the association between exacerbated economic hardship during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and changes in the health behaviors of Korean adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey and included 44 908 students (22 823 boys and 22 085 girls) as study subjects. The dependent variables included changes in health behaviors (breakfast habits, physical activity, and alcohol use) that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aggravation of economic hardship by COVID-19 and the subjective economic status of the family were used as exposure variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to calculate the prevalence odds ratios (PORs). Results: Severe exacerbation of a family's economic hardship due to COVID-19 was negatively associated with the health behaviors of adolescents, including increased breakfast skipping (POR, 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55 to 2.21 for boys and POR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.92 for girls) and decreased physical activity (POR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.57 for boys and POR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.60 for girls). These negative changes in health behaviors were further amplified when combined with a low subjective family economic status. Conclusions: The experience of worsening household hardship can lead to negative changes in health behavior among adolescents. It is crucial to implement measures that address the economic challenges that arise from stressful events such as COVID-19 and to strive to improve the lifestyles of adolescents under such circumstances.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.277-285
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• 2022

This study aims to investigate the impact of the Corona pandemic on the earning quality (EQ) of Saudi national banks. It was conducted to evaluate the measurement of the earning quality based on the Penman approach. The researchers used the analytical method to conduct the study to find the effect of this Pandemic. Data was collected from the annual reports for the period 2010 to 2020 from Saudi national banks, which are twelve according to the annual report for the Saudi central bank, and eight of them were selected as a sample of the study. The banks are Alinma Bank, Al Rajhi Bank, Bank Al Bilad, The National Commercial Bank, Bank Aljazeera, Riyad Bank, Samba Financial Group (Samba), and Arab National Bank. The study findings showed that the Corona pandemic had a negative impact on the Saudi economy, and led to deflation in 2020 by 4.1% due to the oil sector. They also showed reducing oil production by the (OPEC +) agreement to achieve stability in the oil market and the non-oil sector. It was also revealed that the profits of Saudi commercial banks in 2020 decreased by 23.1% and that the Corona pandemic had Caused the earning quality to decline in all the studied banks.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2024

Purpose: This paper explores the nuanced approaches undertaken by private companies in formulating and implementing business continuity plans (BCPs) in response to the unprecedented challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Research design, data, and methodology: Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, the study delves into the multifaceted strategies employed by private sector entities, ranging from risk assessment and remote work policies to supply chain diversification and employee well-being initiatives. Result: The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the evolving landscape of business continuity planning during a pandemic, offering valuable insights for academia, industry practitioners, and policymakers. The research findings present a detailed account of how private companies have tailored their business continuity plans in response to the unique challenges posed by the pandemic. Conclusion: This academic exploration sheds light on the dynamic landscape of business continuity planning in private companies responding to the global pandemic. Insights into the effectiveness of remote work policies, supply chain diversification, employee safety measures, and financial strategies contribute to the understanding of best practices and areas requiring further attention. These recommendations aim to inform future business continuity planning efforts, enhance organizational resilience, and mitigate the impact of global health crises on private sector operations.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.393-406
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• 2020

The discourse on the lockdown in Indonesia is getting stronger due to the increasing number of positive cases of the coronavirus and the death rate. As of August 12, 2020, the confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia reached 130,718. There were 85,798 victims who have recovered and 5,903 who have died. Data show a significant increase in cases of COVID-19 every day. For this reason, there needs to be an evaluation of the government policy of the Republic of Indonesia in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. An evaluation of policies for handling the pandemic must include public opinion to determine any weaknesses of this policy. The development of public opinion about the lockdown policy can be understood through social media. During the COVID-19 pandemic, measuring public opinion through traditional methods (surveys) was difficult. For this reason, we utilized big data on social media as research data. The main purpose of this study is to understand public opinion on the lockdown policy in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. The things observed included: volume of Twitter users, top influencers, top tweets, and communication networks between Twitter users. For the methodological development of future public opinion research, the researchers outline the obstacles faced in researching public opinion based on big data from Twitter. The research results show that the lockdown policy is an interesting issue, as evidenced by the number of active users (79,502) forming 133,209 networks. Posts about the lockdown on Twitter continued to increase after the implementation of the lockdown policy on April 10, 2020. The lockdown policy has caused various reactions, seen from the word analysis showing 14.8% positive sentiment, 17.5% negative, and 67.67% non-categorized words. Sources of information who have played the roles of top influencers regarding the lockdown policy include: Jokowi (the president of the Republic of Indonesia), online media, television media, government departments, and governors. Based on the analysis of the network structure, it shows that Jokowi has a central role in controlling the lockdown policy. Several challenges were found in this study: 1) choosing keywords for downloading data, 2) categorizing words containing public opinion sentiment, and 3) determining the sample size.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.1191-1200
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• 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic can be deemed one of the greatest hardships faced by mankind in the 21st century. All industries have been severely affected and workers are still experiencing deep difficulties due to the changed working and living environment. Seafarers have been recognized by the international community as key workers since the pandemic began. They are also working internationally to establish a Level Playing Field through the protection of their rights through the Seafarers' Employment Agreement and the implementation of international labour standards. However, despite the obligations under international conventions to be implemented by State parties and the recommendations by international organizations, the rights of seafarers under the Maritime Labour Convention were violated were violated and their occupational safety and health of seafarers were further threatened throughout the pandemic. This article analyzes the impact of the international shipping industry and the implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention based on each country's measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the amendments of the Maritime Labour Convention adopted through the fourth Special Tripartite Committee were analyzed based on the conference documents and reports to comprehend the implied meaning. The adopted eight amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention are expected to positively affect the seafarers' rights, safety and health in the future, but the international community's efforts should continue because the issues of maximum working hours, maximum service period on board, and the repatriation of seafarers still remain unsettled.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.343-353
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• 2023

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in the lifestyle patterns of children and affected the patterns of pediatric injuries. This study analyzed the changing patterns of pediatric injury overall and by age groups, based on the datasets before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study is based on the data of patients who presented with injuries at 23 hospital emergency departments participating in the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance (EDIIS) conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The surveillance data was categorized by injury mechanism, location, activity, and severity. We analyzed the injury patterns of pediatric patients aged 0 to 15 years. Subgroup analysis was conducted by age group in children aged 7 to 15 years, 1 to 6 years, and <1 year. Results: When comparing the COVID-19 pandemic period to the pre-COVID-19 period, the total number of pediatric patients with injuries decreased by 38.7%, while the proportions of in-home injuries (57.9% vs. 67.9%), and minor injuries (38.9% vs. 39.7%) increased. In the 7 to 15 years group, bicycle riding injuries (50.9% vs. 65.6%) and personal mobility device injuries (2.4% vs. 4.6%) increased. The 1 to 6 years group also showed an increase in bicycle accident injuries (15.8% vs. 22.4%). In the <1 year group, injuries from falls increased (44.5% vs. 49.9%). Self-harm injuries in the 7 to 15 years group also increased (1.6% vs. 2.8%). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the overall number of pediatric injuries decreased, while injuries occurring at home and during indoor activities increased. Traffic accidents involving bicycles and personal mobility devices and self-harm injuries increased in the 7 to 15 years group. In the <1 year group, the incidence of falls increased. Medical and societal preparedness is needed so that we might anticipate these changes in the patterns of pediatric injuries during future infectious disease pandemics.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.41-45
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• 2020

Purpose: This article aims to explore the new town development paradigm against infectious diseases. The distribution of COVID-19 constricts economic activity. The high frequency of outbreaks of COVID-19 nationwide is due to neither malnutrition nor unhygienic environment. Research design, data and methodology: The research question starts with the idea that understanding the features of the outbreak of pandemic diseases could help public health authorities to better cope with upcoming risks in the future. We have employed a big data-based methodology to explore the outbreak of pandemic diseases. Also, an idiographic approach is used to describe the distribution of new towns against COVID-19. Results: The results demonstrate that the rapid spread of COVID-19 has had a strong impact on regional economies and urban development. It was found that there is a close relationship between infectious diseases outbreaks and new town development. Conclusions: The findings could be used to deal with new town development against infectious diseases better in other cities or countries as well. The distribution of COVID-19 may become an unexpected opportunity for a paradigm shift in the distribution of new town development to prevent not only an excessive concentration in Seoul, but also an imbalance between national and local development.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.1
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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.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.1-28
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• 2022

This paper studies how COVID-19 has affected the labor market in Korea through a general equilibrium model with multiple industries and occupations. In the model, workers are allocated to one of many occupations in an industry, and industrial or occupational shocks alter the employment structure. I calibrate the model with Korean data and identify industrial and occupational shocks, referred to here as COVID-19 shocks, behind the employment dynamics in 2020 and 2021. I find that COVID-19 shocks are more severe for those with jobs with a higher risk of infection and in those that are more difficult to do from home. Interestingly, the relationship between COVID-19 shocks and infection risk weakened as the pandemic progressed, whereas the relationship between COVID-19 shocks and easiness of work-from-home strengthened. I interpret the results as meaning that the pandemic may direct future technological changes to replace tasks that require contact-intensive steps, and I simulate the impact of such technological changes through the lens of the model. The results show that such technological changes will lower the demand for manual workers compared to the demands for other occupations. This contrasts with the earlier trend of job polarization, where manual workers continued to increase their employment share, with the share of routine workers secularly declining at the same time.