• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.228-232
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is inflicting a brutal blow on humankind, and no corner of the world has been exempted from its wrath. This study analyzes the chief control measures and the distinctive features of the responses implemented by Korea and the United States to contain COVID-19 with the goal of extracting lessons that can be applied globally. Even though both nations reported their index cases on the same day, Korea succeeded in flattening the curve, with 10 752 cases as of April 28, 2020, whereas the outbreak skyrocketed in the United States, which had more than 1 million cases at the same time. The prudent and timely execution of control strategies enabled Korea to tame the spread of the virus, whereas the United States paid a major price for its delay, although it is too early to render a conclusive verdict. Information pertaining to the number of people infected with the virus and measures instituted by the government to control the spread of COVID-19 was retrieved from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites and press releases. Drawing lessons from both nations, it is evident that the resolution to the COVID-19 pandemic lies in the prudent usage of available resources, proactive strategic planning, public participation, transparency in information sharing, abiding by the regulations that are put into place, and how well the plan of action is implemented.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제63권7호
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• pp.239-250
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• 2020

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading globally. Although its etiologic agent is discovered as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), there are many unsolved issues in COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The causes of different clinical phenotypes and incubation periods among individuals, species specificity, and cytokine storm with lymphopenia as well as the mechanism of damage to organ cells are unknown. It has been suggested that in viral pneumonia, virus itself is not a direct cause of acute lung injury; rather, aberrant immune reactions of the host to the insults from viral infection are responsible. According to its epidemiological and clinical characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 may be a virus with low virulence in nature that has adapted to the human species. Current immunological concepts have limited ability to explain such unsolved issues, and a presumed immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 is presented under the protein-homeostasis-system hypothesis. Every disease, including COVID-19, has etiological substances controlled by the host immune system according to size and biochemical properties. Patients with severe pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 show more severe hypercytokinemia with corresponding lymphocytopenia than patients with mild pneumonia; thus, early immunomodulator treatment, including corticosteroids, has been considered. However, current guidelines recommend their use only for patients with advanced pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Since the immunopathogenesis of pneumonia may be the same for all patients regardless of age or severity and the critical immune-mediated lung injury may begin in the early stage of the disease, early immunomodulator treatment, including corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin, can help reduce morbidity and possibly mortality rates of older patients with underlying conditions.

• 수면정신생리
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.29-34
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• 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was a global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still a serious public health problem. COVID-19 causes various symptoms not only in the respiratory system but also in various parts of the body and has a significant effect on sleep. Insomnia and poor sleep quality were observed at high rates in patients with COVID-19 as well as in the uninfected general population. Obstructive sleep apnea is also considered a risk factor in patients with severe COVID-19. Virus-induced central nervous system damage is likely to be the cause of many sleep disorders in COVID-19, but psychosocial influences also seem to have played a significant role. Sleep problems persisted at high rates for a considerable period after the infection phase was over. More attention and research on the effect of COVID-19 on sleep is needed in the future.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.286-295
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• 2020

Respiratory infections are very common and highly contagious. Respiratory infectious diseases affect not only the person infected but also the family members and the society. As medical sciences advance, several diseases have been conquered; however, the impact of novel infectious diseases on the society is enormous. As the clinical presentation of respiratory infections is similar regardless of the pathogen, the causative agent is not distinguishable by symptoms alone. Moreover, it is difficult to develop a cure because of the various viral mutations. Various respiratory infectious diseases ranging from influenza, which threaten the health of mankind globally, to the coronavirus disease 2019, which resulted in a pandemic, exist. Contrary to human expectations that development in health care and improvement in hygiene will conquer infectious diseases, humankind's health and social systems are threatened by novel infectious diseases. Owing to the development of transport and trading activity, the rate of spread of new infectious diseases is increasing. As respiratory infections can threaten the members of the global community at any time, investigations on preventing the transmission of these diseases as well as development of effective antivirals and vaccines are of utmost importance and require a worldwide effort.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.23.1-23.12
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• 2022

Natural infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 or vaccination induces virus-specific immunity protecting hosts from infection and severe disease. While the infection-preventing immunity gradually declines, the severity-reducing immunity is relatively well preserved. Here, based on the different longevity of these distinct immunities, we develop a mathematical model to estimate courses of endemic transition of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our analysis demonstrates that high viral transmission unexpectedly reduces the rates of progression to severe COVID-19 during the course of endemic transition despite increased numbers of infection cases. Our study also shows that high viral transmission amongst populations with high vaccination coverages paradoxically accelerates the endemic transition of COVID-19 with reduced numbers of severe cases. These results provide critical insights for driving public health policies in the era of 'living with COVID-19.'

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.43.1-43.13
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• 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 is a contagious disease and had caused havoc throughout the world by creating widespread mortality and morbidity. The unavailability of vaccines and proper antiviral drugs encourages the researchers to identify potential antiviral drugs to be used against the virus. The presence of RNA binding domain in the nucleocapsid (N) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could be a potential drug target, which serves multiple critical functions during the viral life cycle, especially the viral replication. Since vaccine development might take some time, the identification of a drug compound targeting viral replication might offer a solution for treatment. The study analyzed the phylogenetic relationship of N protein sequence divergence with other 49 coronavirus species and also identified the conserved regions according to protein families through conserved domain search. Good structural binding affinities of a few natural and/or synthetic phytocompounds or drugs against N protein were determined using the molecular docking approaches. The analyzed compounds presented the higher numbers of hydrogen bonds of selected chemicals supporting the drug-ability of these compounds. Among them, the established antiviral drug glycyrrhizic acid and the phytochemical theaflavin can be considered as possible drug compounds against target N protein of SARS-CoV-2 as they showed lower binding affinities. The findings of this study might lead to the development of a drug for the SARS-CoV-2 mediated disease and offer solution to treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.44.1-44.7
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• 2020

The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), greatly varies from patient to patient. In the present study, we explored and compared mutation profiles of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from mildly affected and severely affected COVID-19 patients in order to explore any relationship between mutation profile and disease severity. Genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 were downloaded from Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) database. With the help of Genome Detective Coronavirus Typing Tool, genomic sequences were aligned with the Wuhan seafood market pneumonia virus reference sequence and all the mutations were identified. Distribution of mutant variants was then compared between mildly and severely affected groups. Among the numerous mutations detected, 14408C>T and 23403A>G mutations resulting in RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) P323L and spike protein D614G mutations, respectively, were found predominantly in severely affected group (>82%) compared with mildly affected group (<46%, p < 0.001). The 241C>T mutation in the non-coding region of the genome was also found predominantly in severely affected group (p < 0.001). The 3037C>T, a silent mutation, also appeared in relatively high frequency in severely affected group compared with mildly affected group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). We concluded that spike protein D614G and RdRp P323L mutations in SARS-CoV-2 are associated with severity of COVID-19. Further studies will be required to explore whether these mutations have any impact on the severity of disease.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.140-146
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• 2024

소아 다기관 염증 증후군(multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, MIS-C)은 코로나바이러스감염증-19 (코로나 19; coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19)의 드문 합병증으로 심장, 폐, 신장, 소화관 및 신경계를 포함한 다기관 손상을 일으킨다. 코로나19 팬데믹 이후 MIS-C 사례가 증가함에 따라 MIS-C에 대한 적절한 치료의 중요성이 강조되고 있다. anakinra, infliximab, 스테로이드와 같은 면역 조절제는 MIS-C에 대한 intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)의 1차 치료에 대한 추가 요법으로 고려되지만 cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr 바이러스 및 결핵과 같은 2차 감염을 유발할 소지가 있다. 저자들 MIS-C로 IVIG, steroid 및 infliximab을 투여한 환자에서 동반된 CMV 감염으로 인하여 약 한달간 지속되는 발열이 발생한 3세 남아의 증례 1례를 처음으로 보고하였다.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제54권2호
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• pp.103-109
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• 2022

2019년 12월 중국에서 바이러스성 폐렴을 일으키는 코로나 바이러스 질병 2019 (COVID-19)가 검출돼 전 세계로 빠르게 확산되어 수백만 명의 감염자와 사망자가 발생했다. 증상이 유사한 호흡기 바이러스 가운데 경기도의료원에 입원한 환자 35명이 2020년 11월부터 2021년 1월까지 인플루엔자 바이러스(인플루엔자바이러스 A·B)에 감염된 것으로 나타났다. 이들 환자의 기록과 건강검진을 위해 병원을 찾은 환자의 기록을 비교했다. 대상 환자 군에는 COVID-19 환자 30명, 인플루엔자 환자 5명, 비 감염 환자 121명이 포함됐다. 혈액학적 기록을 활용해 입원 당일 실시한 일반 혈액 검사와 생화학 검사 결과를 분석했다. COVID-19 및 인플루엔자에 동반 감염된 환자들은 단일 COVID-19 감염 그룹보다 젖산 탈수소효소(LDH), C-반응 단백질(CRP), 백혈구(WBC) 수치가 유의미하게 높았다. 적혈구 침전률과 COVID-19 감염 환자만 있는 림프구(Lymphocyte)가 다른 그룹에 비해 증가했다. 인플루엔자 감염군은 COVID-19와 인플루엔자에 동반 감염된 환자에 비해 발열의 빈도가 빈번했다. COVID-19에 감염된 단일 환자에 비해 공동 감염 그룹에서 유의미한 임상 특이 수치가 관찰되었다. 본 연구에서 나오는 결과로 COVID-19치료제와 백신개발에 이용하기를 기대한다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제44권9호
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• pp.688-695
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• 2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has become a global health concern. Various SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been developed and are being used for vaccination worldwide. However, no therapeutic agents against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been developed so far; therefore, new therapeutic agents are urgently needed. In the present study, we evaluated several hepatitis C virus direct-acting antivirals as potential candidates for drug repurposing against COVID-19. Theses include asunaprevir (a protease inhibitor), daclatasvir (an NS5A inhibitor), and sofosbuvir (an RNA polymerase inhibitor). We found that asunaprevir, but not sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, markedly inhibited SARS-CoV-2-induced cytopathic effects in Vero E6 cells. Both RNA and protein levels of SARS-CoV-2 were significantly decreased by treatment with asunaprevir. Moreover, asunaprevir profoundly decreased virion release from SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. A pseudoparticle entry assay revealed that asunaprevir blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection at the binding step of the viral life cycle. Furthermore, asunaprevir inhibited SARS-CoV-2 propagation in human lung Calu-3 cells. Collectively, we found that asunaprevir displays broad-spectrum antiviral activity and therefore might be worth developing as a new drug repurposing candidate for COVID-19.