PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.13 No.20, May 14, 2020 Article TypeCOVID-19 Special ReportEpidemiology and SurveillanceNoncommunicable Disease Statistics

• COVID-19 Special Report 2020-05-14

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  Weekly report on the COVID-19 situation in the Republic of Korea (As of May 9, 2020)

  Kim Miyoung, Kweon Sanghui, Kim Yeonju, Kim Younghwa, Yeom Hansol, Choi So Young, Hwang Insob, Yoo Hyosoon, Park Young Joon, Gwack Jin, Park Ok

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(20): 1372-1385

  

  

  Abstract

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  This is a weekly report on the COVID-19 situation in the Republic of Korea based on the confirmed cases reported through the Integrated System to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention according to the INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION ACT and based on the epidemiological investigation by central and local health authorities.
  As of May 9, 2020, there were 10,897 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and including 256 deaths. Confirmed cases were reported in all 17 provinces/cities in Korea, with the highest number of cases from Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Seoul, and Gyeonggi. The results indicated that, by gender, women accounted for a slightly higher proportion (59.2%, n=6,446) of total confirmed cases than men. And, by age the median age was 44 years old (range: 0 to 104 years old).
  The main infectious paths confirmed by epidemiological investigations showed several major clusters related to COVID-19. Of the total cases, the proportion of imported cases was 10.4% (n=1,130); 47.8% (n=5,212) were Shincheonji (and related); 33.1% (n=3,607) are small clusters and contacts of confirmed cases (other than Shincheonji); and 8.7% (n=948) are currently under investigation as per infection route surveys.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-05-14

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  Causes, treatment, clinical significance, and the current status of resistant hypertension in Korea

  Lee Chan Joo, Park Sungha, Lee Seung Hee, Lee Joung-Won, Kim Won-Ho

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(20): 1386-1396

  Abstract

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  Hypertension (HTN), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure (BP) in the arteries is persistently elevated. The prevalence of HTN in Korean adults is about 30.5%. Among patients with hypertension, 10-20% are reported to have resistant hypertension. Resistant hypertension is defined as BP that is controlled with the use of more than three medicines, one of which should be a diuretic.
  Previous studies state that differential diagnosis and treatment of resistant hypertension are necessary because patients with resistant hypertension have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than patients with well-controlled hypertension. However, applying these finding to the Korean context is challenging since there are few comparable studies on resistant hypertension in Korea. Therefore, to address this lack of research, the aim of this study was to exam the current status of resistant hypertension in Korea. This study recruited and enrolled 420 patients with resistant hypertension who were over 20 years of age from 12 tertiary hospitals in Korea. Past medical history and information on antihypertensive medications were investigated, and blood and urine tests were performed. In addition, office blood pressure (BP), out-of-office BP (ambulatory BP [24-hr BP, daytime BP, and nighttime BP] and home BP) were measured. The ratio of the control group and the non-control group was analyzed according to the target blood pressure of each BP measurement (office BP <140/90 mmHg; daytime BP <135/85 mmHg; home BP <135/85 mmHg). The mean age of the 420 resistant hypertensive patients enrolled up to the second year was 60.8±13.3 years. Of these, the number of male patients was 239 (56.9%) and the accompanying rate of metabolic disease was high. There were 206 patients (49.0%) who had controlled office BP below the target BP of 140/90 mmHg. However, the number of patients with masked uncontrolled hypertension, defined as those who did not reach the target BP of out-of-office BP (either daytime mean BP or home BP [daytime BP ≥135/85 mmHg or home BP ≥135/85 mmHg]), was 136 (66.1%).
  This study revealed that even in patients with resistant hypertension whose office BP is well- controlled, there are frequent cases in which out-of-office BP does not reach the target BP. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously monitor and evaluate whether resistant hypertension, both office and out-of-office BP, is well controlled through frequent measurements of out-of-office BP.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-05-14

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  The clinical significance of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension platform for deep phenotyping in Korean subjects (PHOENIKS) cohort

  Chung Wook-Jin, Jang Youngwoo, Park Su Jung, Oh Pyung Chun, Ahn Kyung Jin, You Mi Ju, Hyun Gyeong-Lim, Oh Seyeon, Byun Kyunghee, Kim Seung Woo, Lee Seung Hee, Kim Won-Ho

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(20): 1397-1406

  

  

  Abstract

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  Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive, chronic disease without curative treatment. Large registry data of these patient populations have been published, although, phenotypic variants within each subtype of PAH have not been elucidated. As interest towards personalized medicine grows, the need for a PAH cohort with a comprehensive understanding of patient phenotypes through a multiomics approaches, called deep phenotyping, is on the rise. The PAH Platform for Deep Phenotyping in Korean Subjects (PHOENIKS) cohort was designed to collect clinical data as well as biological specimens for deep phenotyping in patients with PAH in Korea. A total of 17 regional tertiary hospitals enrolled up to 100 consecutive PAH patients and their family members to obtain clinical data and biological specimens across Korea. PAH is diagnosed by a right-handed catheter examination. All clinical data was registered and managed using the web-based clinical research management system (iCReaT) of the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Each participating collected whole blood samples from each patient, through which DNA, RNA, serum, plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were extracted from the buffy coat layer for future multiomics analysis. The PHOENIKS cohort enrolled PAH patients across Korea to determine the prognosis and drug response in different phenotypic variants. The data generated by this cohort is expected to open new doors for personalized medicine among in PAH patients in Korea.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-05-14

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  Investigation of fever and respiratory effected symptoms in Traveler Entering Korea over the past five years

  Jung Kyung-Sook, Son Tae-Jong, Kim Gueum-Chan

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(20): 1407-1415

  

  

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  As infectious diseases continue to occur around the world, the public’s interest and concern about the inflow and spread of overseas infectious diseases into Korea has increased. This manuscript introduced the quarantine system in Korea and investigated the status of the symptomatic traveler identified during the entry stage over the past five years (2015-2019), and analyzed the occurrence status of the cases of fever and respiratory symptoms on a monthly basis. Among the total visitors who have entered in Korea over the past five years, the average ratio of the suspected patients is about 0.3 percent. Among these cases, respiratory symptoms were the highest with 68%, followed by diarrhea with 23.5% and fever with 8.5%. According to statistics from 2017 to 2019, fever and respiratory symptoms occurred the most in January, February and December, but decreased since January 2015 and most frequently in August in 2016. Therefore, in order to prevent the inflow and spread of infectious diseases from overseas countries, the outbreak trend of foreign infectious diseases is continuously monitored, and continuous quarantine management is necessary to the people by providing information on the prevention of infectious diseases by region and time of outbreak to those who leave the country so that quarantine survey can be conducted for returnees.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-05-14

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  A Case Study of a COVID-19 Outbreaks in ** County, Republic of Korea

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(20): 1416-1424

  

  

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  A total of eleven coronavirus infection-19 (COVID-19) cases were reported on April 5th, 2020 after the first confirmed case was reported in ** County on March 24th, 2020. ** County is South Chung-Cheong Province (Chungcheongnam-do). The Chungcheongnam-do rapid response team and the ** County Health Center conducted an epidemiological survey to identify the outbreak, determine the extent of the outbreak, prevent transmission, and prevent further outbreaks.
  This report examined the epidemiological investigation process of the eleven confirmed case by using the data of the ** County Health Center and the on-site epidemiological investigation report of the rapid response team-. In addition, this report calculated and analyzed the general characteristics.
  The report found that nine out of the eleven confirmed cases occurred at a church gathering. Furthermore, an epidemiological survey confirmed that some of the church's congregation wore masks with inadequate protection and many worshippers did not observe social distancing. A complete survey was conducted on April 1st for the individuals who attended the last worship which is on March 22nd to confirm cases and then conducted total complete survey on April 3rd for the rest in the church, but there were no additional confirmed cases. Out of the eleven cases, one was an imported case and one was a confirmed case from a community with no epidemiological connection.
  The report found the following general characteristics of the eleven confirmed cases. There were-five males (45.5%) and, six females (55.5%). The average age was 49.8 (21-78) with a median age of 48. Ten cases were domestic (90.9%), and one case was an imported case from Britain (9.1%). In terms of - initial symptoms, six cases (25.0 %) had fever or heat sensation, five had cough or sputum (20.8 %), and four patients (16.7 %) had chills. The initial symptoms of the confirmed cases were mostly minor and non-specific and were not significantly much different from known COVID-19 cases. A total of 121 people were classified according to the guidelines as contact persons of the eleven confirmed cases. The contact cases were managed by ** County Health Center. This report concluded that locations that foster large gatherings, such as those found in religious facilities, must be managed by establishing effective response strategies and by sharing epidemiological and clinical analysis data on COVID-19.

• Noncommunicable Disease Statistics 2020-05-14

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  Trends in prevalence of hypertension among people aged 30 years and over, 2007-2018; Rates of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control among Korean adults aged 30 years and over, 2007-2018

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(20): 1425-1428

  

  

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