PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.15 No.13, March 31, 2022 Article TypeCOVID-19 Special ReportEpidemiology and SurveillanceNoncommunicable Disease StatisticsPolicy Notes

• COVID-19 Special Report 2022-03-31

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  COVID-19 outbreak report from January 20, 2020 to January 19, 2022 in the Republic of Korea

  Sungchan Yang, Jinhwa Jang, Shin Young Park, Seon Hee Ahn, Seong-Sun Kim, Su Bin Park, Boyeong Ryu, Seon-Yeong Lee, Eunjeong Shin, Na-Young Kim, Myeongsu Yoo, Jonggul Lee, Taeyoung Kim, Ae Ri Kang, Donghyok Kwon

  Public Health Weekly Report 2022; 15(13): 796-805

  

  

  Abstract

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  This is a report of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases reported via an integrated system according to Article 11 of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Management Act and epidemiological investigations conducted by central and local health authorities from January 20, 2020 to January 19, 2022. There were a total of 705,900 COVID-19 cases, including 22,305 cases imported from abroad. Among those cases, 498,772 (70.7%) occurred in the metropolitan area, and 199,105 (28.2%) occurred in non-metropolitan areas. There were 6,480 deaths, and the fatality rate was 0.9%. The highest infection rate was noted in 20-29-year-olds (15.2%), and the fatality rate was the highest in individuals aged over 80 years olds. The main infection routes were contact with confirmed cases (302,758, 42.9%); under investigation (211,739, 30.0%); other clusters, including hospitals and nursing homes (167,874, 23.7%) imported cases (22,305, 3.2 %); and linked to imported cases (571, 0.1%). Despite various preventive measures such as social distancing, introduction of vaccines and therapeutic agents to epidemic prevention authorities, new COVID-19 mutant viruses appear continuously and global transmission tendency has been maintained for a long period. As a result, preparation is required by making individual epidemic prevention rules routine and improving continuous medical response system so that the number of confirmed patients does not rapidly increase.

• Policy Notes 2022-03-31

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  Instruction of revisions to the Ebola virus disease practical response guidelines

  Ju Hee Lee, Soo Yeon Lee, Jin Gwack

  Public Health Weekly Report 2022; 15(13): 809-815

  

  

  Abstract

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  Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) occur mainly in Africa. Due to high fatality rate, a public health crisis and public anxiety occur when EVD is imported into Korea. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) continuously monitor outbreaks abroad, and monitor inflows into Korea through the quarantine of inbound travelers and reports of pseudo-patients at medical institutions.
  To improve the quality of medical resources for responding to infectious disease criseis, guidelines were revised and applied in practice by applying the Ebola practical response system of the Central Infectious Disease Hospital Operation Center of the National Medical Center. The guidelines include information on movement routes and infection control including disinfection·sterilization, composition and operation of working personnel, education and training, treatment, and environmental management in case of suspected/confirmed EVD.
  As mentioned before, EVD has a high fatality rate, but there is no commercialized treatment or vaccine, and considering the quarantine situation due to the COVID-19 outbreak, preparation for response and continuous management are more important than ever. The KDCA's EVD response guidelines were quickly changed in line with the current situation and guidelines for domestic and abroad case. The KDCA plans to revise the guidelines to reflect the most up to date knowledge

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2022-03-31

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  Status of Major Health Indicators in Population Shrinking Regions, Korea

  Hong Seok Choi, Geumju Song, Yunsil Ko, Seunghoon Chae, Younjhin Ahn

  Public Health Weekly Report 2022; 15(13): 816-828

  Abstract

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  In 2021, the Korean government designated 89 regions as ones that are facing population shrinkage. The purpose of this study was to provide tangible evidence to local governments for establishing countermeasures against population decline. Using 2020 Korea Community Health Survey data, a descriptive analysis was performed to examine the differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics between population shrinking and non-shrinking regions. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the cross-sectional relationship between study variables (i.e., 12 major health indicators) and population shrinking status (shrinking versus non-shrinking regions). Included were 229,269 (weighted sample n=43,526,824) community dwellers aged 19 years and over. Compared to those living in non-shrinking regions, participants living in the shrinking regions were more likely to be elderly or manual labor workers and less likely to have a high level of education or household income. Based on the results of multiple regression analysis, compared with non-shrinking regions, shrinking regions had worse health indicators including the amount of walking, treatment of high blood pressure (≥ 30 years old), and unmet medical needs, while shrinking regions were in a better situation in terms of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, depressive symptoms, diagnosed high blood pressure (≥ 30 years old), and influenza vaccination. When examining the association between study variables and population shrinking status by each Si-Do (i.e., metropolitan city or province), the population shrinking regions in Daegu-si and Chungcheongnam-do had multiple numbers of risk factors. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the majority of the study variables and population shrinking status in Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. These results showed that local governments should consider their own health risk factors when establishing strategies for solving health and the population shrinking issue.

• Noncommunicable Disease Statistics 2022-03-31

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  Trends in prevalence of high-risk alcohol drinking, 2010-2020

  Public Health Weekly Report 2022; 15(13): 829-830

  

  

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