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Chiara A, Ryu S, Jung JH, Hwang SM. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on chlamydia infection in South Korea: a comparison between the pre-pandemic and during-pandemic periods. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1167321. [PMID: 37228722 PMCID: PMC10203704 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1167321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Prior to COVID-19 pandemic, a yearly upward trajectory in the number of chlamydia infection cases was observed in South Korea. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea implemented several public health and social measures, which were shown to have an impact on the epidemiology of other infectious diseases. This study aimed to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and number of reported chlamydia infections in South Korea. Methods Using the monthly number of reported chlamydia infection data between 2017 and 2022, we compared the trends in the reported numbers, and the incidence rates (IR) of chlamydia infection stratified by demographic characteristics (sex, age group, and region) in the pre- and during COVID-19 pandemic period (January 2017-December 2019 and January 2020-December 2022). Results We observed an irregular downward trajectory in the number of chlamydia infection in the during-pandemic period. A 30% decrease in the total number of chlamydia infection was estimated in the during-pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, with the decrease greater among males (35%) than females (25%). In addition, there was a decrease in the cumulative incidence rate of the during COVID-19 pandemic period (IR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.42-0.44) compared to the pre-pandemic period (IR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.59-0.61). Conclusions We identified decrease in the number of chlamydia infection during COVID-19 pandemic which is likely due to underdiagnosis and underreporting for the infection. Therefore, strengthening surveillance for sexually transmitted infections including chlamydia is warranted for an effective and timely response in case of an unexpected rebound in the number of the infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achangwa Chiara
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, The Graduate School, Konyang University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Konyang University Myunggok Medical Research Institute, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sukhyun Ryu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Heon Jung
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Konyang University Myunggok Medical Research Institute, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Min Hwang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Konyang University Myunggok Medical Research Institute, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Achangwa C, Park H, Ryu S, Lee MS. Collateral Impact of Public Health and Social Measures on Respiratory Virus Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic 2020-2021. Viruses 2022; 14:1071. [PMID: 35632810 PMCID: PMC9146684 DOI: 10.3390/v14051071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Many countries have implemented public health and social measures (PHSMs) to control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although the PHSMs are targeted at SARS-CoV-2 transmission control, they directly or indirectly impact the epidemiology of different respiratory viral diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the collateral impact of PHSMs used during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the epidemiology of other respiratory viruses, including influenza, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, and adenovirus infections. We conducted a systematic review of the published literature on changes in the incidence of respiratory viral diseases and detection rates of the respiratory viruses during COVID-19 pandemic, lasting from 2020-2021, published between December 2019 and March 2022 in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. We identified an overall decrease of 23-94% in the incidence of respiratory viral diseases and a decrease of 0-98% in the detection of the viruses. Our study suggests that the PHSMs implemented during COVID-19 pandemic reduced the incidence of respiratory viral diseases and transmission of respiratory viruses. At the time of this study, and as governments relax PHSMs, public health authorities should prepare for a probable increase in the burden of respiratory viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Achangwa
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Korea; (C.A.); (H.P.); (M.-S.L.)
- Onehealth Research Laboratory, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Korea
| | - Huikyung Park
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Korea; (C.A.); (H.P.); (M.-S.L.)
- Onehealth Research Laboratory, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Korea
| | - Sukhyun Ryu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Korea; (C.A.); (H.P.); (M.-S.L.)
- Onehealth Research Laboratory, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Korea
| | - Moo-Sik Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Korea; (C.A.); (H.P.); (M.-S.L.)
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Hwang Y, Kim D, Ryu S. Decreased patient visits for ankle sprain during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea: A nationwide retrospective study. Prev Med Rep 2022; 26:101728. [PMID: 35169534 PMCID: PMC8830827 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Social distancing measures including school closure and the cancelation of sports activity were enforced during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to reduce the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in South Korea. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nationwide burden of musculoskeletal injury in 2020, we analyzed data on the number of patient visits for ankle sprain in South Korea. We collected national reimbursement data on the number of patient visits for ankle sprain between August 2010 and July 2020. To quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of reductions in patient visits for ankle sprain, we developed a regression model adjusting for the annual cycle of the patient visit during 2016/17-2018/19. During the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, the overall number of patient visits for ankle sprain dropped by 7.9%. The number of patient visits for ankle sprain substantially reduced by 23.4% among school-aged children (6-19 years) during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. Our findings suggest that the social distancing measure has had a positive impact on reducing the burden of medical usages for ankle sprain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngsik Hwang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35365, South Korea
| | - Dasom Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35365, South Korea
- Myunggok Medical Research Institute, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35365, South Korea
| | - Sukhyun Ryu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35365, South Korea
- Myunggok Medical Research Institute, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35365, South Korea
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Park HJ, Kim YT, Moon JY, Jin CE, Ko KH, Lee SH, Min O, Je YS, Lee M, Lee S, Kim YJ, Lee KR. Trend Analysis of the Profiles of 12 Sexually Transmitted Disease Pathogens in the Republic of Korea in 2019. INQUIRY: THE JOURNAL OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION, PROVISION, AND FINANCING 2021; 58:469580211065684. [PMID: 34930054 PMCID: PMC8721680 DOI: 10.1177/00469580211065684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are common infectious diseases in humans transmitted through unprotected sexual activities. In South Korea, despite the high annual incidence of STDs, detailed examinations of pathogen-specific factors and causes for delays in diagnosis and treatment are still lacking. Furthermore, STD prevalence patterns and important pathogen-specific factors remain unclear. Herein, we retrospectively analyzed the epidemiology of STDs in South Korea in 2019 by analyzing the association of pathogen-specific infection patterns with factors such as sex, age, region, and month. Methods: We obtained the STD test results of 172,973 individuals from the Seoul Clinic Laboratory in 2019, most of whom had multiple infections; hence, 275,296 STD-positive cases were included in this analysis. Through deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) amplification, they were categorized by pathogen type. Subsequently, they were further classified by month, region, and age while concurrently being stratified according to sex. Results: Among the 12 pathogens detected in this study, Gardnerella vaginalis had the highest prevalence, with 92,490 cases in both sex groups; moreover, many of them were concurrently infected by two or more pathogens. The prevalence of STDs did not differ according to month or region. Conversely, the pathogen-specific prevalence rates significantly differed according to age. Older adults had higher prevalence rates of Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans, and herpes simplex virus type 1 infections than younger adults. Conclusion: These pathogen-specific prevalence patterns provide information that helps to understand population vulnerability according to region and age and helps develop STD prevention and treatment strategies in South Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Jee Park
- R & D Innovation Center, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Tae Kim
- R & D Innovation Center, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju Young Moon
- R & D Innovation Center, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Choong Eun Jin
- R & D Innovation Center, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Han Ko
- R & D Innovation Center, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-hyun Lee
- R & D Innovation Center, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Okgi Min
- Molecular Diagnosis, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Soo Je
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Center for Companion Biomarker, SCL Healthcare Inc, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Mikyeong Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Center for Companion Biomarker, SCL Healthcare Inc, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghoo Lee
- Center for Companion Biomarker, SCL Healthcare Inc, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Jin Kim
- R & D Innovation Center, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung-Ryul Lee
- R & D Innovation Center, Seoul Clinical Laboratories, Yongin, Republic of Korea
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