• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제63권4호
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• pp.125-132
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), which started in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and declared a worldwide pandemic on March 11, 2020, is a novel infectious disease that causes respiratory illness and death. Pediatric COVID-19 accounts for a small percentage of patients and is often milder than that in adults; however, it can progress to severe disease in some cases. Even neonates can suffer from COVID-19, and children may spread the disease in the community. This review summarizes what is currently known about COVID-19 in children and adolescents.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제65권4호
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• pp.167-171
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• 2022

In the era of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, countries worldwide have implemented several nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to contain its spread before vaccines and treatments were developed. NPIs included social distancing, mask wearing, intensive contact tracing and isolation, and sanitization. In addition to their effectiveness at preventing the rapid spread of COVID-19, NPIs have caused secondary changes in the epidemiology of other infectious diseases. In Korea, various NPI stages have been implemented since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 on January 20, 2020. This review, based on a PubMed database search, shows the impact of NPIs on several infectious diseases other than severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in the COVID-19 pandemic era in Korea.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.89-97
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• 2022

More than 2 years after the explosion of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, extensive efforts have been made to develop safe and efficacious vaccines against infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The pandemic has opened a new era of vaccine development based on next-generation platforms, including messenger RNA (mRNA)-based technologies, and paved the way for the future of mRNA-based therapeutics to provide protection against a wide range of infectious diseases. Multiple vaccines have been developed at an unprecedented pace to protect against COVID-19 worldwide. However, important knowledge gaps remain to be addressed, especially in terms of how vaccines induce immunogenicity and efficacy in those who are elderly. Here, we discuss the various vaccine platforms that have been utilized to combat COVID-19 and emphasize how these platforms can be a powerful tool to react quickly to future pandemics.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.545-549
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• 2020

The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in 2019 led to large numbers of people being infected and developing atypical pneumonia (coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19). Typical imaging manifestations of patients infected with 2019-nCoV has been reported, but we encountered an atypical radiological manifestation on baseline computed tomography (CT) images in three patients from Wuhan, China infected with the 2019-nCoV. Surprisingly, the only similar CT finding was a solitary sub-centimeter ground-glass nodule adjacent to bronchovascular bundles, which could be easily overlooked. In addition, the follow-up images in these patients showed how COVID-19 pneumonia evolved from these small nodules. The radiologic manifestation of the three cases will expand contemporary understanding of COVID-19.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.537-540
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• 2020

Recently, some global cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia have been caused by second- or third-generation transmission of the viral infection, resulting in no traceable epidemiological history. Owing to the complications of COVID-19 pneumonia, the first symptom and imaging features of patients can be very atypical and early diagnosis of COVID-19 infections remains a challenge. It would aid radiologists and clinicians to be aware of the early atypical symptom and imaging features of the disease and contribute to the prevention of infected patients being missed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제44권6호
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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.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.614-619
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• 2020

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.180-187
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• 2023

In Korea, >90% of children and adolescents aged <19 years have been infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) since 2020. Among confirmed cases of pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), 40-60% of patients developed neurologic symptoms such as seizures, headache, and encephalitis. Herein, we report the case of a 3-year-old female patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection who presented with seizures and altered consciousness and was diagnosed with COVID-19 encephalitis. The patient recovered after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, high-dose steroids, anti-seizure drugs, and an anti-viral agent. She was discharged after regaining the ability to speak words and walk alone on hospital day 39. Complete recovery was observed at the 1-year follow-up. The findings in this case suggest that early detection and active intervention is associated with better outcomes in patients with COVID-19 encephalitis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.193-207
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of traditional herbal medicine as a stand-alone treatment group through major English databases due to the lack of RCTs in Korea, and to provide a review of the herbal interventions used. Methods: Using four databases (Pubmed, EMBASE, OASIS, RISS), combination of words such as "Coronavirus" "RCT" "Herb" "Decoction" "TCM" were used. RCTs using herbal medicines to treat coronavirus were searched. Final 4 studies were selected by two authors according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 1,435 patients were studied. The Chinese herbs used in the treatment group were Shengmai Yin, JingYinGuBiao granules, Jinhua Qinggan granules, and Bufei Huoxue capsules. The intervention group showed greater attenuation of pneumonia lesions on CT. Also, improvement in 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and negative conversion rate in treatment group were reported. Furthermore, scores on the Fatigue Assessment Inventory (FAI) were lower in the herbal group than in the placebo group. The median time to recovery of COVID-19 related symptoms was shorter in TCM group compared to the control group. Reported adverse effects were diarrhea, liver dysfunction, and excessive menstruation, and two papers did not mention side effects in detail. Conclusion: Herbal medicine alone can increase the conversion rate of viral negativity and relieve COVID-19 related symptoms without significant adverse effects.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.61-69
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• 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a global pandemic for over 2 years. During the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant-predominant period in South Korea, confirmed cases among children and adolescents surged. This review found that, although younger children may be less susceptible to COVID-19 than adolescents, more research is needed on the role of children and adolescents in the disease's spread. Detailed epidemiological information about the transmissibility of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain in children and adolescents is currently scarce, and more research is needed on the role of children and adolescents in disease's spread. There may be a difference in the proportion of cases with severe disease requiring hospitalization depending on the dominant mutant strain; however, COVID-19 generally presents with a mild-to-moderate course in children aged 5-11 years old.