Effect of Increased Depressive Feelings during the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Association between Depressive Mood and Suicidal Behavior: Using the 17th (2021) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (KYRBS).

This study investigated the impact of increased depressive feelings during the COVID-19 pandemic on the suicidal behavior of Korean high school students using the 17th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (KYRBS). We classified the independent variables into four groups ("no depressive mood and no increase in depressive feelings [group A]", "no depressive mood and increase in depressive feelings [group B]", "depressive mood and no increase in depressive feelings [group C]", and "depressive mood and increase in depressive feelings [group D]"). Compared to group A, group D showed an odds ratio of 18.30 in men and 14.87 in women for suicidal behavior after accounting for demographic and health behavioral characteristics. We found that depressive mood and a relatively short-term increase in depressive feelings had a synergistic effect, rather than an additive one, on suicidal behavior. Based on this result, we claim that an appropriate intervention method is necessary to prevent adolescents' depressive mood from developing into suicidal behavior during the pandemic.

Effects of the Omicron variant on perinatal outcomes in full-term neonates.

BACKGROUND: Research of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) effects on newborns is ongoing. But the research of specific variant's effects is none. This study analyzed the effects of the Omicron variant on the perinatal outcomes of full-term newborns during the Omicron wave period.  METHODS: Between December 2021 and April 2022, this study was conducted on all newborns who visited a single center. We investigated due to the Omicron maternal infection maternal pregnancy complications, delivery methods, birth week, Apgar scores, neonatal resuscitation program requirement, whether respiratory support was required until 12 h after childbirth, suspicious infectious status, and mortality depending on maternal Omicron infection. RESULTS: A total of 127 neonates were enrolled, and 12 were excluded based on exclusion criteria. Sixteen neonates were born to mothers with a history of Omicron COVID-19, and 99 were born to non-infectious mothers. All infected mothers became infected in the 3rd trimester. Of the 16 mothers, seven were symptomatic, and four met the isolation criteria, according to Korean guidelines. The birth weight of newborns to mothers with a history of COVID and those without was 2.958 ± 0.272 kg and 3.064 ± 0.461 kg (p = 0.049), respectively. The 5-min Apgar score at childbirth was 9.29 ± 0.756 and 9.78 ± 0.460 for neonates born to symptomatic and asymptomatic mothers (p = 0.019), respectively. When compared with or without maternal self-isolation, neonates requiring respiratory support 12 h after birth demonstrated a significant difference (p = 0.014; OR, 10.275). Additionally, the presence or absence of transient tachypnea of the newborn showed a significant value (p = 0.010; OR 11.929). CONCLUSIONS: Owing to Omicron COVID-19, newborns were born with lower birth weight, low 5-min Apgar scores, and required respiratory support until 12 h after birth.