PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.17 No.15, April 18, 2024 Article TypePolicy NotesQuickStatsSurveillance Reports

• Surveillance Reports 2024-04-18

  1 162 263

  Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Gyeongbuk Region in Republic of Korea, 2021–2023

  Seong Hee Oh, Haesun Yun, Hyo-Jin Kim, Yong-Pyo Lee, Gyeong Ran Moon, Junseock Son, Wooyoung Choi

  Public Health Weekly Report 2024; 17(15): 617-632 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2024.17.15.1

  

  

  Abstract

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  We conducted a genomic surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by performing full-length genome analysis of the virus, targeted gene sequencing, and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in Daegu Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangbuk-do between February 2021 and August 2023. Samples of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 were collected from institutes of health and environment, private diagnostic referral laboratories, and medical institutes. Among 20,159 patient samples collected, there were 15,402 cases of the Omicron (76.40%), 3,922 cases of Delta (19.46%), 195 cases of Alpha (0.97%), 176 cases of Epsilon (0.87%), 3 cases of Beta, 3 cases of Iota, and 1 case of Kappa SARS-CoV-2 variants. Prevalence of the variants varied by year, five variants (Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron, and Epsilon) were mostly prevalent in 2021. Delta and Omicron family were prevalent in 2022, and only the Omicron variant was prevalent in 2023. The prevalent Omicron sub-variants (n=2,756) included BA.1 (n=32, 1.16%), BA.2 sublineage (n=960, 34.83%), BA.4 (n=11, 0.40%), BA.5 (n=1,004, 36.43%), and XBB recombinants (n=719, 26.09%). Among XBB recombinants, the prevalent subvariants included XBB.1.9.1 (n=180, 6.53%), XBB.1.5 (n=140, 5.08%), XBB.1.16 (n=99, 3.59%), XBB.1.9.2 (n=88, 3.19%), and EG.5 (n=88, 3.19%). These results suggested that continuous genomic surveillance is important to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 variants emergent in the Daegu Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangbuk-do.

• Policy Notes 2024-04-18

  0 402 108

  Information on Quarantine Inspection Required Area in the First Half of 2024 and Quarantine for Travelers

  Song Shin, Hyeng-Il Cheun, Jae-Kyee Shin

  Public Health Weekly Report 2024; 17(15): 633-643 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2024.17.15.2

  Abstract

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  Globally, numerous infectious diseases pose a risk to public health and may require isolation to prevent outbreaks. These “quarantinable infectious disease” include cholera, polio, plague, yellow fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Ebola virus, coronavirus disease 2019, and animal influenza with human infections. The designation and release of “Quarantine Inspection Required Areas” are determined by the quarantine committee twice a year based on overseas occurrence trends, with additional updates made as necessary. As of 2024, the list of quarantine inspection required areas includes 26 countries for cholera, 24 for polio, 42 for yellow fever, 5 for plague countries, 13 for MERS-CoV, 6 for animal influenza with human infections, 56 for dengue fever, 22 for chikungunya fever, 14 for Zika virus infections, and 119 for measles.

• QuickStats 2024-04-18

  1 165 55

  Trends in the Prevalence of Depressive Disorder, 2014–2022

  Public Health Weekly Report 2024; 17(15): 644-645 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2024.17.15.3

  

  

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