• Title/Summary/Keyword: COVID-Pandemic

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Exploring COVID-19 and Meaning in Life (COVID-19와 삶의 의미 탐구)

  • Bae, Na-Rae
    • Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.315-320
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    • 2022
  • This study discussed its implications for the meaning in life, which began to emerge through existential psychotherapy in the era of coronavirus infection 19 (COVID-19). In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are making efforts to live a meaningful life, and individuals and communities are making efforts to find meaning in how to live a meaningful life. Humanity has a premise for a peaceful life, and since the past, interest in the meaning in life has continued. The deadly virus called COVID-19, which hit the world in December 2019, created stress such as anxiety, alienation, and depression in people, endangering the lives of individuals and communities. Research on the meaning in life was active even before COVID-19, but I think it is necessary to look at the changes in people's meaning in life and how COVID-19 is affecting each individual amid the global pandemic of the virus. In other words, clarifying the meaning of our lives in the era of COVID-19 is a coping to reduce stress and a catalyst to improve the quality of life. This study aims to provide basic research to prepare ways to improve the quality of life in the era of COVID-19 by examining various perspectives and results on the meaning in life.

Standardization trend of Korea's Response to COVID-19 (K-방역 기술의 국제표준화 추진 동향)

  • Yoo, S.K.;Lee, C.K.;Lee, H.J.;Kim, S.H.;Kim, Y.W.
    • Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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    • v.36 no.5
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    • pp.42-50
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    • 2021
  • A rapidly spreading unidentified type of pneumonia was initially reported in China in December 2019. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic. The world is making efforts to overcome COVID-19 using the experience of each country. From the beginning, Korea has been relatively successful in managing COVID-19 according to the "3T principle," that is, test-trace-treat. To share these experiences with the international community, in June 2020, Korea launched 18 projects in an attempt to standardize the COVID-19 response technology. This paper introduces the standardization trend of Korea's response to COVID-19.

COVID-19 and Return-To-Work for the Construction Sector: Lessons From Singapore

  • Gan, Wee Hoe;Koh, David
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.277-281
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    • 2021
  • Singapore's construction sector employs more than 450,000 workers. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore from April to June 2020, migrant workers were disproportionately affected, including many working in the construction sector. Shared accommodation and construction worksites emerged as nexuses for COVID-19 transmission. Official government resources, including COVID-19 epidemiological data, 43 advisories and 19 circulars by Singapore's Ministries of Health and Manpower, were reviewed over 8 month period from March to October 2020. From a peak COVID-19 incidence of 1,424.6/100,000 workers in May 2020, the incidence declined to 3.7/100,000 workers by October 2020. Multilevel safe management measures were implemented to enable the phased reopening of construction worksites from July 2020. Using the Swiss cheese risk management model, the authors described the various governmental, industry, supervisory and worker-specific interventions to prevent, detect and contain COVID-19 for safe resumption of work for the construction sector.

Korean Red Ginseng, a regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome, in the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Jung, Eui-Man;Lee, Geun-Shik
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.46 no.3
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    • pp.331-336
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    • 2022
  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exhibits various symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic to severe pneumonia or death. The major features of patients in severe COVID-19 are the dysregulation of cytokine secretion, pneumonia, and acute lung injury. Consequently, it leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, multiple organ failure, and death. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative virus of COVID-19, influences nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat, and pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), the sensor of inflammasomes, directly or indirectly, culminating in the assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome and activation of inflammatory caspases, which induce the inflammatory disruption in severe COVID-19. Accordingly, the target therapeutics for inflammasome has attracted attention as a treatment for COVID-19. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) inhibits several inflammatory responses, including the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling. This review discusses the role of KRG in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 based on its anti-NLRP3 inflammasome efficacy.

The Effect of University Students' COVID-19 Stress on Smartphone Addiction: The Mediating Effects of Self-Regulation (코로나 스트레스가 대학생의 스마트폰 중독에 미치는 영향: 자기조절능력의 매개효과)

  • Choi, Ara
    • Human Ecology Research
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    • v.59 no.4
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    • pp.557-567
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    • 2021
  • This study examined the relationship between COVID-19 stress, self-regulation, and smartphone addiction among university students. It also assessed whether self-regulation mediates the relationship between COVID-19 stress and smartphone addiction. The participants comprised 346 students enrolled in G city university. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS to generate descriptive statistics, perform a correlation analysis, and create a structural equation model. The main findings were as follows. First, COVID-19 stress had a negative correlation with self-regulation, but a positive correlation with smartphone addiction. A negative correlation was observed between self-regulation ability and smartphone addiction. Secondly, self-regulation partially mediated the relationship between COVID-19 stress and smartphone addiction. The results will inform educational and counseling interventions aimed at preventing smartphone addiction among university students living in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ethics and Responsibility of Scientific Researchers in a Pandemic Era

  • Lee, Kyung-Hee
    • Development and Reproduction
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.321-326
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    • 2021
  • The purpose of this paper is to critique the links between science and scientific researchers, politics and capital surrounding vaccines and vaccination in a pandemic era. It also introduces standards for adapting ethical guidelines for research under public health emergencies to specific circumstances and contexts. It also introduces ethical standards to be applied to scientific research. that is, scientific relevance, social value, cooperative partnerships, reasonable risk-benefit costs, fair and voluntary participation, independent review, and equal moral respect for participants and affected communities. It also outlines the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic-consent and other research procedure modifications proposed by Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). We are on the lookout for powerful capital and hegemonic groups inseparable from politics and important decision makers in the pandemic era - that is, scientists, supporters, and scientific civic groups. It underscores the need for an independent and formal scientific advisory body with the right balance between science and politics.

Changes in patterns of plastic surgery emergencies at a level I trauma center in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Singh, Veena;Haq, Ansarul;Sharma, Sarsij;Kumar, Sanjeev;Kumar, Aditya;Kumar, Amarjeet;Kumar, Neeraj;Kumar, Anil
    • Journal of Trauma and Injury
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.108-114
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    • 2022
  • Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had major effects worldwide, including sudden and forceful setbacks to the healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has also led to changes in the plastic and reconstructive management of emergency cases, including those due to road traffic accidents. This study analyzed changes in patterns of plastic surgery emergencies and modifications in consultation policies to minimize the exposure of healthcare workers. Methods: Data on plastic surgery emergency calls received from the trauma and emergency department were collected for a period of 2 months before and during lockdown. The data were then analyzed with respect to the cause, mechanism, and site of the injury, as well as other variables. Results: During lockdown, there was a 40.4% overall decrease in the plastic surgery emergency case volume (168 vs. 100). The average daily number of consultations before lockdown was 2.8 as compared to 1.6 during lockdown. Road traffic accidents remained the most common mechanism of injury in both groups (45.8% vs. 39.0%) but decreased in number during the lockdown (77 vs. 39). Household accidents, including burns, were the second most common cause of injury in both phases (7.7% vs. 20.0%), but their proportion increased significantly from 7.7.% to 20.0% in the lockdown phase (P=0.003). The percentage of minor procedures done in the emergency department increased from 53.5% to 72.0% during lockdown (P=0.002). Procedures in the operating room decreased by 73.1% during lockdown (67 vs. 18, P=0.001). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown orders in India greatly influenced trends in traumatic emergencies as observed by the plastic surgery team at our tertiary care center. Amidst all the chaos and limitations of the pandemic period, providing safe and prompt care to the patients presenting to the emergency room was our foremost priority.

Regional Characteristics of the COVID-19 Pandemic Recession and Resilience: Focusing on the Urban Employment Crisis and Recovery (코로나19 팬데믹 경기침체와 회복력의 지역적 특성: 도시 고용위기와 회복을 중심으로)

  • Yim, Seokhoi;Song, Juyoun
    • Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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    • v.25 no.3
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    • pp.281-298
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    • 2022
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has so far given the world a great shock and fear that cannot be compared to other infectious diseases, and local economies are experiencing a serious economic crisis accordingly. This paper examines the regional characteristics of economic recession and resilience due to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the employment fluctuations in 85 cities nationwide. Although the overall trend is in line with national employment indicators, there are some differences in the shock response and the recovery of employment in individual cities. The difference between cities is somewhat greater in the resilience of the recovery stage than the resistance, which is the shock-response stage. In terms of resilience, cities in the capital area have relatively good condition compared to cities in the non-capital area. The weak resilience of large cities such as Seoul, which has a high population density, can be explained to be the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic of infectious diseases. Regarding the economic structure of the city, the ratio of service and sales workers, wholesalers and retailers, and food and lodging businesses are analyzed as valid explanatory variables for the resilience of cities.

When Disease Defines a Place: Batavia in British Diplomatic and Military Narratives, 1775-1850

  • Keck, Stephen
    • SUVANNABHUMI
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    • v.14 no.2
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    • pp.117-148
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    • 2022
  • The full impact of COVID-19 has yet to be felt: while it may not define the new decade, it is clear that its immediate significance was to test many of the basic operating assumptions and procedures of global civilization. Even as vaccines are developed and utilized and even as it is possible to see the beginning of the end of COVID-19 as a discrete historical event, it remains unclear as to its ultimate importance. That said, it is evident that the academic exploration of Southeast Asia will also be affected by both the global and regional experiences of the pandemic. "Breakthroughs of Area Studies and ASEAN in the Era of Homo Untact" promises to help reconceptualize the study of the region by highlighting the importance of redefined spatial relationships and new potentially depersonalized modes of communication. This paper acknowledges these issues by suggesting that the transformations caused by the pandemic should motivate scholars to raise new questions about how to understand humanity-particularly as it is defined by societies, nations and regions. Given that COVID-19 (and the response to it) has altered many of the fundamental rhythms of globalized regions, there is sufficient warrant for re-examining both the ways in which disease, health and their related spaces affect the perceptions of Southeast Asia. To achieve "breakthroughs" into the investigation of the region, it makes sense to have another glance at the ways in which the discourses about diseases and health may have helped to inscribe definitions of Southeast Asia-or, at the very least, the nations, societies and peoples who live within it. In order to at least consider these larger issues, the discussion will concentrate on a formative moment in the conceptualization of Southeast Asia-British engagement with the region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. To that end three themes will be highlighted: (1) the role that British diplomatic and military narratives played in establishing the information priorities required for the construction of colonial knowledge; (2) the importance not only of "colonial knowledge" but information making in its own right; (3) in anticipation of the use of big data, the manner in which manufactured information (related to space and disease) could function in shaping early British perceptions of Southeast Asia-particularly in Batavia and Java. This discussion will suggest that rather than see social distancing or increased communication as the greatest outcome of COVID-19, instead it will be the use of data-that is, big, aggregated biometric data which have not only shaped responses to the pandemic, but remain likely to produce the reconceptualization of both information and knowledge about the region in a way that will be at least as great as that which took place to meet the needs of the "New Imperialism." Furthermore, the definition and articulation of Southeast Asia has often reflected political and security considerations. Yet, the experience of COVID-19 could prove that data and security are now fused into a set of interests critical to policy-makers. Given that the pandemic should accelerate many existing trends, it might be foreseen these developments will herald the triumph of homo indicina: an epistemic condition whereby the human subject has become a kind of index for its harvestable data. If so, the "breakthroughs" for those who study Southeast Asia will follow in due course.

Sleep Quality and Poor Sleep-related Factors Among Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam

  • Thang Phan;Ha Phan Ai Nguyen;Cao Khoa Dang;Minh Tri Phan;Vu Thanh Nguyen;Van Tuan Le;Binh Thang Tran;Chinh Van Dang;Tinh Huu Ho;Minh Tu Nguyen;Thang Van Dinh;Van Trong Phan;Binh Thai Dang;Huynh Ho Ngoc Quynh;Minh Tran Le;Nhan Phuc Thanh Nguyen
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.56 no.4
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    • pp.319-326
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    • 2023
  • Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the workload of healthcare workers (HCWs), impacting their health. This study aimed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and identify factors associated with poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1000 frontline HCWs were recruited from various healthcare facilities in Vietnam between October 2021 and November 2021. Data were collected using a 3-part self-administered questionnaire, which covered demographics, sleep quality, and factors related to poor sleep. Poor sleep quality was defined as a total PSQI score of 5 or higher. Results: Participants' mean age was 33.20±6.81 years (range, 20.0-61.0), and 63.0% were women. The median work experience was 8.54±6.30 years. Approximately 6.3% had chronic comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. About 59.5% were directly responsible for patient care and treatment, while 7.1% worked in tracing and sampling. A total of 73.8% reported poor sleep quality. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between poor sleep quality and the presence of chronic comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 5.24), being a frontline HCW directly involved in patient care and treatment (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.16), increased working hours (OR, 1.84; 95% CI,1.37 to 2.48), and a higher frequency of encountering critically ill and dying patients (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.95). Conclusions: The high prevalence of poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to that in other countries. Working conditions should be adjusted to improve sleep quality among this population.