• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.61-69
• /
• 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.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.537-540
• /
• 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.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.21 no.10
• /
• pp.1161-1164
• /
• 2020

The epidemic of 2019 novel coronavirus, later named as coronavirus disease (COVID-19), began in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has spread rapidly worldwide. Early diagnosis is crucial for the management of the patients with COVID-19, but the gold standard diagnostic test for this infection, the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, has a low sensitivity and an increased turnaround time. In this scenario, chest computed tomography (CT) could play a key role for an early diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. Here, we have reported a confirmed case of COVID-19 with an atypical CT presentation showing a "double halo sign," which we believe represents the pathological spectrum of this viral pneumonia.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.25.1-25.17
• /
• 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces excessive pro-inflammatory cytokine release and cell death, leading to organ damage and mortality. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is one of the damage-associated molecular patterns that can be secreted by pro-inflammatory stimuli, including viral infections, and its excessive secretion levels are related to a variety of inflammatory diseases. Here, the aim of the study was to show that SARS-CoV-2 infection induced HMGB1 secretion via active and passive release. Active HMGB1 secretion was mediated by post-translational modifications, such as acetylation, phosphorylation, and oxidation in HEK293E/ACE2-C-GFP and Calu-3 cells during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Passive release of HMGB1 has been linked to various types of cell death; however, we demonstrated for the first time that PANoptosis, which integrates other cell death pathways, including pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, is related to passive HMGB1 release during SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, cytoplasmic translocation and extracellular secretion or release of HMGB1 were confirmed via immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence in the lung tissues of humans and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-overexpressing mice infected with SARS-CoV-2.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.41.1-41.16
• /
• 2022

The human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 has chemotactic and modulatory activities in various immune cells, including dendritic cells. Because of its characteristics, LL-37 can be considered an adjuvant for vaccine development. In this study, we confirmed the possible adjuvant activity of LL-37 in mucosal vaccine development against Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) by means of intranasal immunization in C57BL/6 and human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (hDPP4)-transgenic (hDPP4-Tg) mice. Intranasal immunization using the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of MERS-CoV spike protein (S-RBD) recombined with LL-37 (S-RBD-LL-37) induced an efficient mucosal IgA and systemic IgG response with virus-neutralizing activity, compared with S-RBD. Ag-specific CTL stimulation was also efficiently induced in the lungs of mice that had been intranasally immunized with S-RBD-LL-37, compared with S-RBD. Importantly, intranasal immunization of hDPP4-Tg mice with S-RBD-LL-37 led to reduced immune cell infiltration into the lungs after infection with MERS-CoV. Finally, intranasal immunization of hDPP4-Tg mice with S-RBD-LL-37 led to enhanced protective efficacy, with increased survival and reduced body weight loss after challenge infection with MERS-CoV. Collectively, these results suggest that S-RBD-LL-37 is an effective intranasal vaccine candidate molecule against MERS-CoV infection.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.43-52
• /
• 1999

Presently, viral isolation in the diarrheal feces can be reached by many tools such as fluorescent antibody test(FA), negative contrast electron microscopy(NCEM), virus neutralization test, cell culture, and so on. The purpose of the study was to aimed at the establishment of simplified NCEM technique which can be efficiently applied for diarrheal feces and also the understanding on prevalence of viral-induced diarrhea in calves. One hundred fourty-seven korean indigenous calves with diarrhea were examined to their feces by the modified NCEM. Among them, 98(66.7%) were confirmed to have one or more viruses in feces. The viruses detected were identified as rotavirus(33.3%), coronavirus(16.3% ), togavirus(10.2%) and herpesvirus(0.7%). Ten cases of combined viral infection were consisted of 8 with rotavirus+coronavirus, one with rotavirus+togavlrus and one with rotavirus+herpesvirus. Dirrheal types could classified by yello-wish watery(44.9a ), blood-tinged(19.7% ), white watery(17.7% ) , brownish watery(14.3%), greenish watery(3.4%) diarrhea, respectively. Yellowish watery diarrhea(66cases) was frequently included rotavirus(31.8%), coronavirus(15.2%), and togavirus(13.6%), respectively. Consequently, these results suggest that the modified NCEM is reliable and efficient diagnostic tool for detection of viruses in the diarrheal feces and many calves rearing in Chonnam province have been exposed to some enteric viral agents mainly including rotavirus and coronavirus.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.91-104
• /
• 2022

Objectives: This study was performed to review the impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection during pregnancy and the applicability of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. Methods: We searched 6 data bases on August, 2022 and articles about the impact of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy, TCM treatment of COVID-19 infection, TCM treatment of pregnancy common cold (姙娠 感冒) or cough (姙娠 咳嗽) were reviewed. Results: COVID-19 infection can bring out negative effects both on pregnant women and fetus. In the case of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy, the symptoms and treatment are similar to those of general COVID-19 infection, but the safety of drug intervention has not been completely verified. Herbal medicine treatment can be applied according to the severity, stage and TCM syndrome types of COVID-19 infection, but the prohibited herbs list during pregnancy and its dosage should be checked carefully. Also, when it comes to pregnancy disease, the effect of "Stabilizing Fetus" should be considered in the perspective of TCM treatment strategy. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Scutellariae Radix have been widely used on COVID-19 infection and the safety of them during pregnancy have been verified. In the case of acupuncture treatment, acupoints also can be selected according to the severity, symptoms, and TCM syndrome types of COVID-19, but acupoints with strong Qi sensitivity or acupoints located in lower abdomen should be avoided during pregnancy. Conclusions: TCM treatment can be applied to COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. Clinical studies and systematic reviews of the efficacy and safety of TCM treatment on COVID-19 infection during pregnancy are required.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.35-46
• /
• 2022

Purpose : This study aimed to identify the factors affecting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection control practices of nurses in negative pressure isolation rooms. Methods : The participants were 150 nurses working in three hospitals with negative pressure isolation rooms. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using an independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS/WIN 26.0 program. Results : Factors significantly influencing the subject's COVID-19 infection control practice include Being married (𝛽=.18, p =.016), working in a ward with negative pressure isolation rooms (𝛽=.44, p <.001), working in an ICU with negative pressure isolation rooms (𝛽=.27, p =.010), COVID-19 infection control attitude (𝛽=.28, p =.001), anxiety for COVID-19 (𝛽=.30, p <.001). The explanatory power of these variables for COVID-19 infection control practice was 24.6% (F=8.67, p <.001). Conclusion : It is expected that strategies that utilize positive attitudes which believe that COVID-19 disease may be overcome by COVID-19 infection control practice will help improve emerging infectious diseases infection control practice.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.71-77
• /
• 2020

This study aims to explain the process of providing important medical images for the diagnosis of pneumonia caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) through the only mobile hospital computed tomography (CT) in Korea. Since January 28, 2020, medical imaging examinations have been provided to confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients, and the quality of images was evaluated based on the objective and subjective indicators. In order to prevent the transmission in the hospital that may occur due to exposure to medical staff and general patients, personal protective equipment was worn and the separate route was used blocking human infection factors. For 11 weeks, a total of 185 tests were performed for 98 confirmed patients and 72 suspected patients. The average time to complete the test was 33 minutes. In the course of the test, no cross-infection cases were examined. During the outbreak of the COVID-19, the only mobile hospital CT room of Korea provided medical imaging examinations without infection among medical staff and patients and also provided adequate medical images without significant difference (p >0.05) in determining the degree of pneumonia progression compared to a stationary in-hospital CT.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.422-431
• /
• 2022

Purpose: At the beginning of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic, physicians paid close attention to children with chronic diseases to prevent transmission or a severe course of infection. We aimed to measure the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody levels in children with chronic gastrointestinal and liver diseases to analyze the risk factors for infection and its interaction with their primary disease. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in patients with gastrointestinal and liver diseases (n=141) and in healthy children (n=48) between January and February 2021. Results: During the pandemic, 10 patients (7%) and 1 child (2%) had confirmed COVID-19 infection (p=0.2). The SARS-CoV-2 antibody test was positive in 36 patients (25.5%) and 11 children (22.9%) (p=0.7). SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity was found in 20.4%, 26.6%, 33.3%, and 33.3% of patients with chronic liver diseases, chronic gastrointestinal tract diseases, cystic fibrosis, and liver transplantation recipients, respectively (p>0.05, patients vs. healthy children). Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity were COVID-19-related symptoms (47.2% vs. 14.2%, p=0.00004) and close contact with SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction-positive patients (69.4% vs. 9%, p<0.00001). The use, number, and type of immunosuppressants and primary diagnosis were not associated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity. The frequency of disease activation/flare was not significant in patients with (8.3%) or without (14.2%) antibody positivity (p=0.35). Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children with chronic gastrointestinal and liver diseases are similar to that in healthy children. Close follow-up is important to understand the long-term effects of past COVID-19 infection in these children.