PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.15 No.30, July 28, 2022 Article TypeCOVID-19 Special ReportNoncommunicable Disease StatisticsOriginal Articles

• COVID-19 Special Report 2022-07-28

  0 122 92

  Outbreak report of COVID-19 during designation of class 1 infectious disease in the Republic of Korea (January 20, 2020–April 24, 2022)

  Seonhee Ahn, Jinhwa Jang, Shin Young Park, Sungchan Yang, Boyeong Ryu, Eunjeong Shin, Na-Young Kim, HyunJu Lee, Dong Hwi Kim, Myeongsu Yoo, Jonggul Lee, Taeyoung Kim, Ae Ri Kang, Seo Hyun Kim, Seong-Sun Kim, Donghyok Kwon

  Public Health Weekly Report 2022; 15(30): 2126-2136

  

  

  Abstract

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  As the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) around the world peaked in 2022 and has continued to decline, several countries have eased prevention and control measures against COVID-19. In the Republic of Korea, COVID-19 had been designated as class 1 infectious disease from January 20, 2020 to April 24, 2022. In consideration of high vaccination rate, introduction of therapeutic agents and the characteristics of variants, COVID-19 has been reclassified to class 2 infectious disease since April 25, 2022.
  Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) analyzed the characteristics of COVID-19 outbreaks during designation of class 1 infectious disease in the Republic of Korea.
  In total, there were 16,929,564 COVID-19 confirmed cases, including 31,828 imported cases during this period. The incidence rate was 32,785 per 100,000 population and the maximum number of confirmed cases per day was 621,177. Severe and critical cases were 22,137 and the case fatality rate was 0.14% with 23,045 death cases. Among all the cases, 9,084,961 (53.8%) occurred in the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province) and 7,812,775 (46.2%) occured in areas outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Among the confirmed cases, 4,117,327 (24.3%) were 18 or under 18 years old, 9,812,940 (58.0%) were between 19-59 years old and 2,999,299 (17.7%) were 60 or over 60 years old.
  Through the lessons learned from pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions and public health measures for the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean government should prepare for the next COVID-19 resurgence will be caused by new variants or waning of acquired immunity as time passed.

• Original Articles 2022-07-28

  0 65 49

  A comparative analysis of the types and characteristics of allergic rhinitis adult and child patients in the Republic of Korea

  Yeong-Ho Rha, Sehyang Hong, Kyu-Tae Jeong, Hye-Ja Lee, Woo-Sung Chang, Young-Youl Kim

  Public Health Weekly Report 2022; 15(30): 2141-2157

  

  

  Abstract

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  Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a disease that causes rhinorrhea, nasal stuffiness, sneezing, and itching in patients exposed to inhaled antigens. The risk factors of AR are : genetic, having a family history of AR, excessive indoor/outdoor inhaled antigens, and the environment. Although the prevalence of AR is increasing not only in the Republic of Korea (ROK) but also worldwide, there is a lack of research into the clinical features and characteristics of adult and child AR patients in the ROK. The National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KDCA) conducted a project to present basic data for analyzing the type and characteristics of AR in adults and children in the ROK.
  The department of Pediatrics and Otolaryngology at the Seoul/Gyeonggi Regional Hospitals recruited AR patients to locate the phenotype and endotype of AR and collected medical information and blood sample data.
  In both adults and children with AR, the proportion of males was 65% higher than that of females, and the parents of children with AR had more allergic diseases such as AR and skin allergies than adults with AR. Children with AR had a higher history of respiratory diseases than adults, and eosinophils and IgE in the blood of children with AR were relatively increased compared toadults. Through this study, by confirming the phenotype and endotype of AR in adults and children, it can be used for personalized medicine. By identifying differences in therapeutic effect according to phenotypes, useful information can be presented for personalized treatment of AR in the ROK. Through additional data analysis and follow up of AR patients, more helpful information on the aggravating factors and the natural course of AR will be revealed.

• Noncommunicable Disease Statistics 2022-07-28

  0 78 94

  Trends in prevalence of seat belt non-use among adolescents, 2011-2021

  Public Health Weekly Report 2022; 15(30): 2158-2159

  

  

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