PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.14 No.22, May 25, 2021 Article TypeCOVID-19 Special ReportEpidemiology and SurveillanceNoncommunicable Disease Statistics

• COVID-19 Special Report 2021-05-25

  0 494 124

  Update: Current status and characteristics of variant virus outbreak in Republic of Korea in March 2021

  Il-Hwan Kim, Ae Kyung Park, Heui Man Kim, Hyeokjin Lee, JeeEun Rhee, Eun-Jin Kim, Jia Kim, Subin Park, JungYeon Kim, Jin Gwack, SeungJin Kim, Young-Man Kim, Sang-Eun Lee, YoungJoon Park

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(22): 1486-1499

  

  

  Abstract

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  Regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Republic of Korea (Korea), the government intends to evaluate the domestic situation and respond to variant viruses by checking current status, dynamics, and the clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 on a monthly basis.
  COVID-19 virus variant surveillance was conducted through full-length genome analysis and spike protein gene analysis for positive samples of confirmed cases related to various domestic outbreaks and imported cases.
  The epidemiological and clinical characteristics were analyzed using initial and in-depth epidemiological investigation results reported through the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s (KDCA) COVID-19 information management system; the information system for managing confirmed patients, wired monitoring. Clinical characteristics such as severity and the occurred of group cases were analyzed.
  Among the number of confirmed cases during the March (13,288), 12.0% of isolates (1,589) was laboratory tested for identification of variants of SARS-CoV-2. A total of 113 accounting for 7.1% of the tested were confirmed as Variants of Concern (VOC). The rate of sequenced isolates of March were increased by 33% compared to that of Feburary. On the other hand, the detection rate of VOCs of March were decreased by 4.3% compared to that of February.
  A total of 330 patients of Variants of Concern (VOCs) have been confirmed in Korea to April 5, 2021. The 330 VOC cases were divided into three groups: 501Y.V1, 501Y.V2 and 501Y.V3. 280 cases (84.9%) having the 501Y.V1, 42 cases (12.7%) having the 501Y.V2 (VOC originating from the South Africa), and 8 cases (2.4%) having the 501Y.V3 (VOC originating from the Brazil). Among the 330 cases, there were 204 imported cases (61.8%). The patients’ average age was 38.1, By age group, people aged 71 cases (21.5%) each in their 20s, 30s. 233 cases (70.6%) were Korean nationals. 192 cases (58.2%) were symptomatic at diagnosis, 69 cases (20.9%) was mild respiratory symptoms with fever. Most symptoms of VOC patients in Korea were mild, but 9 case of the 501Y.V1 (VOC originating from the UK), and 1 of the 501Y.V2 (VOC originating from the South Africa) patients were severe/critical (including one death). The rate of severe/critical symptoms was 3.0%, and the fatality rate was 0.3%.
  A total of 7 VOCs-related group cases were confirmed in March 2021, with 153 confirmed cases (32 laboratory confirmed cases, 121 epidemiological cases) lower than February 910 group cases, 195 confirmed cases [65 Laboratory confirmed cases, 130 epidemiological cases]). There were a total of 19 VOCs-related group cases and 394 confirmed cases (117 laboratory confirmed cases and 277 epidemiological related cases). By gender, there were 223 male cases (56.6%) and 78 female cases (19.8%) aged 20-29 years, and 128 (32.5%) cases were reported in Gyeonggi Province, followed by 120 cases (30.5%) reported in Ulsan Metropolitan City.

• COVID-19 Special Report 2021-05-25

  0 363 86

  Analysis of transmission period among patients with 501Y.V1 in Republic of Korea

  Kim Jia, Park Subin, Kim JungYeon, Gwack Jin, Kim Jeong-Min, Jo Hye-Jun, Lee Nam-Joo, Kim Heui Man, Rhee JeeEun, Kim Eun-Jin

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(22): 1500-1509

  

  

  Abstract

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  After being confirmed as 501Y.V1 on September 20, 2020, about 125 countries have confirmed the 501Y.V1, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil has become serious due to the 501Y.V3[1]. A total of 330 Variant of Concern (VOCs) were confirmed by April 5, after the first case was confirmed in Republic of Korea in December 2020. Since January 2, 2021, the Central Disease Control Headquarters has been managing VOCs and suspects by applying "the enhanced case management guidelines" to prevent the inflow and spread of variant in Korea. Therefore, we decided to derive an appropriate isolation period based on scientific grounds for analysis, which accounts for guidance on discharging patients with 501Y.V1 in Korea.
  Except for factors such as severe/critical, death, etc. that may affect the transmission period; 501Y.V1 group was selected for 78 and Non-501Y.V1 group for 311 (May, 2020). Further analysis was conducted on 522 501Y.V1 and 522 Non-501Y.V1 group (May, 2020) including 211 unconfirmed C_t valuess in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests during isolation, 851 Non-501Y.V1 group (April, 2020) to comprised the difference between the period of PCR negative conversion. The distribution of C_t valuess in PCR tests was similar during isolation between the 501Y.V1 group and the Non-501Y.V1 group (May, 2020), and within five days of symptoms or confirmed date, 10 samples with C_t values (RdRp) below 24.68 were negative, and the remaining 30 samples were negative.
  In addition, the median was 30 days for 501Y.V1 group, 33 days for non-501Y.V1 group (April, 2020) and 26 days for non-501Y. V1 group (May, 2020) with differences in the distribution of infection routes. The difference in period of PCR negative conversion is expected to take into account the impact of patient characteristics (such as underlying disease and age) according to infection routes rather than infection with COVID-19 variant.
  The analysis is meaningful in that it has been able to lay the groundwork for clinical-based guidance on discharging patients as a way to manage patients with the 501Y.V1 by confirming that transmission period of the 501Y.V1 is no different from the COVID-19. In the future, it is necessary to establish a scientific evidence-based strategy to respond to VOCs by continuously analyzing the epidemiological and clinical information of patients with 501Y.V2., 501Y.V3. as well as from the 501Y.V1.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2021-05-25

  0 694 160

  A panel study for smokers and its in-depth analysis

  Choi Jongyun, Na Kyoungin, Hwang seung-sik

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(22): 1510-1530

  

  

  Abstract

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  Smoking adversely affects overall health, and is one of the leading causes of adult cancers, such as lung, esophageal, and oral cancer, and of cataracts and diseases such as cardiovascular, respiratory, and infectious diseases. Accordingly, to understand the smoking behavior of adult smokers in Korea and to identify the determinants that affect smoking cessation and re-smoking, an ‘Adult Smokers Panel Survey’ was conducted from 2015 to 2020 using the ‘National Health and Nutrition Survey’ of 1,018 adults in Korea. In addition, the characteristics of each factor, such as the change in smoking amount, smoking urge and the frequency of exposure to smoking cessation advertisements of participants, were analyzed during the follow-up surveys conducted over three years (2018-2020) and conducted for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019, 2020). Through these in-depth surveys, the need to prepare a plan to relieve the stress of smokers to improve the induction of smoking cessation and to support a cessation plan for smokers who have not quit smoking was recommended. In particular, the percentage of ‘No Attempt to Quit Smoking’ increased from 39.4% to 44.3% during two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2018-2020). In the future, the need for additional research with a panel of a sufficient number of female smokers and the application of customized medical research through the analysis of individual smoking factors based on biological samples of smokers was presented.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2021-05-25

  0 286 93

  Results of the 2020 elderly Tuberculosis (TB) screening in Republic of Korea

  Kim HeeAe, Shin JeeYeon, In HyeKyung, Shim Eunhye, Joe WeonJung, Kim YunSoo

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(22): 1531-1550

  

  

  Abstract

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  The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) conducted an early-stage tuberculosis (TB) screening project for the elderly in 2020. The aim was to detect TB in seniors over the age of 65 living in regions with high TB incidences and high TB-related deaths, and to prevent transmission.
  The screening method consisted of mobile examinations, visiting examinations, and regular examinations linked to examination institutions, and the examination survey and chest X-ray examination were conducted primarily, and a sputum examination was conducted for abnormal findings of chest X-ray and TB symptoms.
  134,478 people were participated in total. Chest x-ray (134,467) and sputum tests (17,647) were performed and 98 TB patients (72.9 people per 100,000 population) were reported.
  This was about 1.9 times higher than the incidence of TB in the general population (38.8 people per 100,000 population, 19,933 people). In the case of males, the elderly people, smokers, community residences, living alone, symptoms of TB, and histories of TB within the family show increased the TB incidence. In addition, 52.0% (51) of TB confirmed patients were identified as having inactive TB chest X-ray examination.
  Furthermore, as a result of analyzing the treatment success rate of TB patients in a 2018-2019 project for TB screening for the elderly, it was found that the treatment success rate was higher than that of the general population. This confirmed that early detection and follow-up of TB patients increased the success rate of treatment for TB.
  The KDCA continued its elderly TB screening project in 2021. Through this, early detection and treatment of TB patients will prevent transmission. It intends to contribute to lowering the incidence of tuberculosis in Korea.

• Noncommunicable Disease Statistics 2021-05-25

  0 398 107

  Trend of current smoking rates among Korean adults aged 19 and over, 2007-2019

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(22): 1551-1554

  

  

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