• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.75-93
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• 2021

By defining a travel disparity based on the degree to which travelers diversify their destinations, this paper examines how socioeconomic and spatial factors affect the travel disparity among the elderly in Seoul. This paper uses the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment which can bring about different behavioral responses among the older travelers. Using the smart card data, we compare the destination diversification patterns before and after the pandemic. In the early morning(4:30-9:00), the degree of destination diversification varies between the core and the periphery and this trend persists through the pandemic. In the late morning(9:00-12:00), a new trend of disparity appeared after the pandemic. Although those who hold higher socioeconomic status and live closer to the core have a larger range of choices for destinations, the difference of range did not lead to differences in diversification before the pandemic, due to the discretionary nature of the elderly's trip. In contrast, as the elderly were forced to search alternative destinations right after the outbreak of the pandemic, the range of choices became an important factor causing observable differences in destination diversification. The findings suggest that the travel disparity observed during the pandemic is due to the difference in the range of choices by socioeconomic and spatial factors.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.165-172
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• 2021

The COVID-19, the most infectious pandemic disease arising due to SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) has caused huge issues globally. In this review, we discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the immune system of the human body and the protective mechanisms of the host immune system opposing viral infections. Here, we summarize the effect of the pandemic of the novel coronavirus disease on the immune system such as sleep and Behavioral Immune System (BIS) together with consideration of researcher's observation points of view. We draw particular attention to recent up-to-date reports concerning COVID-19 drugs as well as information about the landscape document for COVID-19 vaccines released by WHO (World Health Organization), and some adverse events of COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, can take part in the preventive appraise in opposition within this pandemic severe COVID-19 infections disease may affect some outcome in physical exercise, physical movement, healthy diets, and good nutrition are significant for supporting the immune systems and summarize AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) Indian medicinal systems guidelines for immunity boosting procedures during COVID-19 pandemic.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.154-163
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• 2024

Purpose: This study is descriptive research aiming to identify factors influencing the stigma experienced by college students with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), focusing on COVID-19 pandemic stress, depression, and fear of negative evaluation as the main variables. Methods: An online survey was administered to 175 college students who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 from January to May 2022 and were enrolled in universities in Seoul, Cheongju, and Daegu, South Korea. The survey collected data on pandemic stress, depression, fear of negative evaluation, and stigma. The data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, the Scheffe test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression in SPSS/WIN 26.0. Results: We analyzed differences in stigma scores based on general characteristics of the college students and found significant differences in stigma scores by age, major satisfaction, interpersonal satisfaction, date of COVID-19 confirmation, treatment modality, and recent subjective health condition. Factors influencing stigmatization were identified as COVID-19 pandemic stress, depression, date of COVID-19 confirmation, treatment modality, recent subjective health condition, and major satisfaction, with an overall explanatory power of 37.6%. Conclusion: This study is significant as it identifies emotional changes across various aspects of pandemic stress, depression, fear of negative evaluation, and stigma among college students who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The findings of this study suggest the development of programs to reduce psychological distress and enhance mental health management skills among these students.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2024

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed physical activities due to social distancing to prevent the spread of infectious disease. The restriction could affect physical activities and serum lipid levels. The purpose of this study is to investigate changes of serum lipid levels and physical activities due to the social distancing between the pre-and-post COVID-19 pandemic on Jeju Island. A total of 5,373 subjects who underwent medical examination at a medical center located on Jeju Island. between May 2018 and December 2021 was enrolled. They were divided into two groups (the pre-COVID-19 vs. the post-COVID-19) based on their medical checkup dates and analyzed about clinical variables between them. Among the clinical variables, the mean age (P<0.014) and the mean levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (P=0.001), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (P=0.039) and total-cholesterol (P<0.001) and the proportions of subjects with abdominal obesity (P<0.001), aerobic exercise (P=0.003) and physical activity (P=0.008) were significantly higher in the post-COVID pandemic than those in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the proportions of subjects with physical activity and aerobic exercise were statistically greater in the post-COVID-19 pandemic, those with central obesity and dyslipidemia were significantly higher in the period than before on Jeju Island.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.101-108
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• 2022

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused serious impacts not only on human health but also on the economies around the world. Enterprises play an important role in the development of every country but it is also one of the most affected sectors during the pandemic. Drawing on panel data of 131 enterprises listed on the Vietnamese stock exchange from 2016Q1 to 2021Q3, this study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on firm performance. Enterprises are classified into seven industries including Agriculture, Material, Industry, Real estate and Construction, Energy, Consumer, and Service. The paper also analyzes the variation of the effects among companies, focusing on differences in revenue and capital structure. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affects business performance. In addition, the empirical findings indicate that revenue and debt decreasing can cause deterioration of firm performance during the pandemic period. The decrease in revenue has a direct impact on firm profitability. The reduction of debt levels affects the corporate leverage leading to adverse effects on firm performance. The negative effect is more pronounced for companies in some specific sectors including industry, real estate, construction, consumption, and services.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.91-100
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• 2023

MSMEs encountered several issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, including decreased sales and capital, difficulties in distribution, trouble obtaining raw materials, decreased production, and employee layoffs. These issues posed a threat to the national economy. The final effect was the company's bankruptcy as a result of its failure to survive a pandemic, which led to the company's downfall. This research aims to find out and analyze MSMEs' business strategy and innovation to maintain their business during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. This research is qualitative. Researchers got data using interviews, observation, and documentation. The analysis of this research is descriptive. To draw customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, MSMEs use social media or digital marketing, followed by the delivery of orders, promotions, or discounts and the creation of freebies. MSMEs develop new products as part of their ongoing efforts to expand their businesses while upholding standards for quality, value, and customer service. They also adapt to changing consumer tastes and popular food trends while showcasing some of their most intriguing products.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.13-24
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• 2022

Purpose: Motivated by an expedited growth and distribution of Online Food-Delivery (OFD) services, especially during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, this research aims to explore 1) how consumers' sustainability considerations are associated with satisfaction with the services via opt-out cutlery options and 2) the role of the pandemic in the relationships between sustainability considerations, attitudes toward opt-out cutlery options, and satisfaction with the OFD services. Data and Methodology: An analysis of survey data using 434 consumers in the United States recruited from Amazon M-Turk was conducted using structural equation modeling. Results: Findings suggest that consumers' environmental, health, and ethical considerations are positively related to their attitudes toward opt-out cutlery options. Furthermore, attitudes toward opt-out cutlery options are positively related to satisfaction with the OFD services only when they feel connected with the environment, driven by perceived threats of an infectious disease (i.e. Covid-19). Conclusion: The study findings provide new insights to managers in the OFD service industry on how to promote sustainable consumption during the pandemic.

• Nanomaterials
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.851-858
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• 2022

The world is suffering from aggravating, waste-generated consequences, and the contribution of microplastics to this problem is only increasing. A contributing factor to increased microplastic usage is the change in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) from specific use in limited locations (e.g., hospitals) to general use in widespread locations to protect against the current COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in an overflow of microfiber waste from homes, schools, streets, and elsewhere, in every country. While various institutes have issued warnings regarding increasing PPE waste, there is no positive indication of an end to the pandemic in the near future. In this review, we examine the impact of the pandemic on microplastic production, consumption, and disposal, and suggest strategies for lessening environmental pollution. In preparation for the worst-case scenario in which PPE becomes a new normal (in the COVID-19 era), it is recommended that governments and other responsible organisations set up a structured monitoring system for the distribution and disposal of PPE to ensure the most effective waste management possible for continuous sustainable development.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.508-517
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• 2021

Background: After the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in January 2020, Korea has experienced three waves in 2020. This study aimed to analyze changes in health care utilization according to the period of the 1st to 3rd waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We analyzed 3,354,469,401 national health insurance claims from 59,104 medical facilities between 2017 and 2020. Observed-to-expected ratios (O:E ratio) with data from 2017 to 2019 as expected values and data from 2020 as observed values were obtained to analyze changes in medical utilization. T-test was used to test whether the difference of observed and expected values was statistically significant. Results: In 2020, the O:E ratio was 0.894, indicating a decrease in health care utilization overall during the pandemic. The O:E ratio of the 1st wave was 0.832, which was lower than those of the second (0.886) and third (0.873) waves. Health care utilization decreased relatively more among outpatient, women, children and adolescents, and health insurance patients. And health care utilization decreased more in small medical facilities and in Daegu and Gyeongbuk during the first wave. During the pandemic, the O:E ratios of respiratory diseases were 0.486-0.694, while chronic diseases and mental diseases were more than 1.0. Conclusion: Health care utilization decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic overall, and there were differences by COVID-19 waves, and by the characteristics of patients and medical facilities. It is necessary to understand the cause of changes in health care utilization in order to cope with the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.80-91
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• 2022

Objective : Hospital workers' mental health has deteriorated because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of hospital workers and its determinants. Methods : Two surveys were conducted among employees working in a hospital that received COVID-19 patients from the early phase of the pandemic in South Korea. Data on demographics, perceived threat, workplace evaluation, resilience, and mental health status were collected using the Korean General Health Questionnaire-20 in the initial phase (February 2020) and during the third wave of COVID-19 (December 2020) for 467 and 545 workers, respectively. The mental health of hospital workers in the two phases was compared, and the risk and protective factors during the third wave were investigated. Results : The proportion of patients in the psychiatric high-risk group increased from 2.8% in the initial phase to 11.4% during the third wave. The perceived threat, workplace evaluation, and resilience of respondents deteriorated. Risk factors for mental health during the third wave included the perceived threat items of job stress, loss of control, and considering resignation. Protective factors included presence of children, workplace satisfaction, and hardiness in resilience. Conclusion : Hospital workers' mental health deteriorated as the pandemic progressed. General stress and tension such as job stress, loss of control, considering resignation rather than COVID-19-specific stress had negative effects on mental health of hospital workers. Therefore, care for work stress itself can be helpful to maintain the mental health of hospital workers. Also, governance to improve workplace satisfaction or hardiness in resilience can be a potential protective factor for hospital workers' mental health during the prolonged pandemic.