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BackgroundUnderstanding the dynamics of humoral immunity after COVID-19 vaccination is crucial in developing vaccination strategies. Antibody response patterns are more complex in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) because of their underlying autoimmunity and immunosuppressive medications. The kinetics of vaccine response in RA patients are not well understood.ObjectivesTo construct a model of antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination in patients with RA.MethodsTwo patient groups were included for the study. The first group was composed of RA patients who were enrolled for influenza vaccination study between Oct 6, 2021 and November 3, 2021, in whom serial serum samples were obtained 0, 4, 16 weeks after vaccination. The second group was consecutively enrolled from outpatient clinic between October 6, 2021 and June 3, 2022, in whom serum sample was obtained once. After collecting data on demographics, vaccination and infection history of COVID-19 were obtained by self-report via questionnaire and data from Korean center for disease control. We then measured antibody titers against receptor binding domain of spike protein (anti-RBD) and nucleocapsid (anti-N), using Chemiluminescence microparticle immunosaasy (Abbott, USA) and Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (Roche, Germany) respectively. The anti-RBD titer was log-transformed to improve normality. Time from vaccination and log of anti-RBD titer was modeled using fractional polynomial. Covariates including age, sex, BMI, underlying disease and immunosuppressive drugs were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations to account for repeated measured from a subject.ResultsA total of 736 patients (1042 samples) were enrolled. After excluding patients who experienced COVID-19 infection before sampling (n=84), those unvaccinated (n=44) and uncertain COVID-19 infection history (n=59), the data on 778 samples from 549 patients were analyzed (Group 1: 125, Group 2: 424). Antibody titer reached peak at 12 days after vaccination and decreased exponentially (Figure 1) which fell to 36.5% from peak after 2 months. Compared to the first vaccination, the 3rd and 4th vaccination significantly shifted anti-RBD antibody response curve (28 times, 95% CI 4~195;32 times 95% CI 4~234, respectively). However, there was no significant shift after the 4th vaccination from the 3rd vaccination (p=0.6405). Multivariable analysis showed that number of vaccinations and sulfasalazine (coefficient: 0.40, 95% CI 0.12~0.68) increased vaccine response but age (coefficient: -0.03, 95% CI -0.04~-0.02), abatacept (coefficient: -2.07, 95% CI -3.30~-0.84) and, JAK inhibitor (coefficient: -0.82, 95% CI -1.34~-0.31) decreased vaccine response.ConclusionAnti-RBD response to COVID-19 vaccination showed a peak at 12 days after vaccination and then exponentially decreased in patient with RA. The antibody response is affected by age and medications used for the treatment of RA.Table 1.ln[RBD (U/ml)]coefficient (univariable)95% CIp-valuecoefficient (multivariable)95% CIp-valuesex (female)0.17-0.22, 0.550.393---age-0.02-0.03, -0.01<.001**-0.03-0.04, -0.02<.001**DM0.11-0.27, 0.500.568---HTN-0.38-0.69, -0.070.018*---CKD0.680.07, 1.290.030*---RA duration (yr)-0.04-0.06, -0.010.001**---Pd (mg/d)-0.06-0.11, 0.000.035*---MTX use-0.23-0.52, 0.050.105---HCQ use0.01-0.28, 0.290.965---SSZ use0.450.07, 0.840.022*0.400.12,0.680.005**LEF use0.00-0.37, 0.370.988---TNF inhibitors use0.29-0.16, 0.730.208---Abatacept use-2.07-3.14, -0.99<.001**-2.07-3.30, -0.840.001**JAK inhibitors use-0.88-1.52, -0.240.007**-0.82-1.34, -0.310.002**Time (months)log(t)-1.96-2.37, -1.54<.001**-1.90-2.29, -1.50<.001**t
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Intro: COVID-19 Vaccination has proven to be very effective in preventing infection and progression to severity and death. However, there were concerns about very rare but potentially fatal adverse reactions after vaccination;myocarditis/pericarditis, TTS/VITT et al. It suggested that the evaluation of the two values of personal safety and public benefit is necessary. Method(s): The benefit of vaccination was measured by the number of critically ill patients prevented from vaccination. The number of critically ill patients predicted in the future was measured through two Methods: based on a fixed scenario, and using a mathematical model. Damage through vaccination was calculated as the occurrence of TTS/VITT, Myocarditis/Pericarditis, and of severe cases. Finding(s): The evaluation results on vaccine safety and effectiveness were made in the form of age restrictions for vaccination by each vaccine platform. As a result of the evaluation, the AstraZeneca vaccine was limited to those under the age of 30 but there was no restriction on the age of mRNA vaccination. In addition, the risks and benefits of vaccination for children aged 5-11 years and 12-17 years of age were evaluated respectively, and it was confirmed that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential harm in children and adolescents. Conclusion(s): Our nation has the own policy for COVID 19 vaccination from the results. The pandemic situation has presented a new approach to the benefits and risks of large-scale vaccination. In particular, the method of comparing the risks and benefits of vaccination was considered as a useful method for health communication.Copyright © 2023
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Teamwork is a strategy for successful learning. With the Coronavirus outbreak, many universities began to rely on synchronous video conferencing and/or metaverse platforms. This study examines the difference between undergraduate students' perceptions and experiences of teamwork on Zoom and Gather.Town. A mixed-method comparative case study was conducted in which a questionnaire survey was administered to 20 undergraduate students in Korea, followed by in-depth interviews and participant observation;reflective journal writing was also examined. The data were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. The results show that the students had a higher perception of teamwork on Gather.Town than on Zoom. Gather.Town was effective because of the sense of presence and mobility of space it afforded, the social presence it facilitated through avatars, empowerment, and openness of emotions, and the differences in the interface and social platform. The findings can aid in the selection of platforms to suit the needs of students and instructors and in the design and implementation of effective teamwork activities on the selected platform. © 2023 by the authors.
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Purpose – This study is aimed at small business start-ups in Korea and China, and examines the effect of "self-efficacy,” an individual factor that affects the start-up performance of small business owners on "start-up intention” and "start-up performance”. In addition, we will also consider the mediating effect of start-up intention and the moderating effect of digital transformation. At present, due to the proliferation of digital technologies and the prolongation of COVID-19, it is difficult for small business start-ups to operate with their existing business models. Therefore, we have focused on "digital transformation” as one of the capabilities they need. We also wanted to know whether digital transformation has a positive moderating effect between start-up intention and start-up performance in small businesses of Korea and China. Design/Methodology/Approach – In existing research, various factors explaining the start-up performance in small business were reviewed. In this study, the self-efficacy of small business start-ups was set as the in-dependent variable and the start-up performance as the dependent variable. In addition, the mediating effect of the start-up intention was examined. As mentioned above, we also tried to look at the moderating effect of digital transformation. After establishing a research model based on the existing research, a survey was con-ducted for small business start-ups in Korea and China for empirical test, and the results were analyzed. Findings – In the case of small business start-ups in both Koreas and China, most of the relationships among self-efficacy, start-up intention, and start-up performance showed the same results. On the other hand, in the case of the moderating effect of digital transformation, positive moderating effect was found in Korea. How-ever, there was no moderating effect in China. Research Implications – In both samples from Korea and China, self-efficacy had a positive effect on start-up performance through start-up intention. It is inferred that the difference in the moderating effect is due to various factors such as culture, institutions, and policies between Korea and China. Finally, academic, eco-nomic, and policy implications were suggested. © 2022 International Academy of Global Business and Trade. All rights reserved.
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Background: There are limited data on the rates of the waning of antibody levels after two-dose and booster vaccination according to the different platforms of COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: We enrolled healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care hospital who received homologous two-dose vaccination, followed by a homologous or heterologous booster mRNA vaccine. SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG was measured using ELISA. A linear mixed regression model was used to compare the slope from the peak antibody titer to the lowest antibody titers 3 months after vaccination. Results: A total of 113 HCWs (BNT162b2 (n=48 [42%]), ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (n=52 [46%]) or mRNA-1273 (n=13 [12%])) were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. More gradual antibody waning was observed over 3 months with the two-dose ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (ChAdOx1) than with the two-dose BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 (p< 0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). In addition, homologous mRNA-1273 booster induced a more durable antibody response than homologous BNT162b2 booster (p< 0.001) or heterologous ChAdOx1-BNT162b2 booster (p< 0.001). Conclusion: 2-dose homologous ChAdOx1 vaccination or homologous mRNA-1273 booster appears to induce more-durable antibody responses than 2-dose homologous mRNA vaccination, homologous BNT162b2 booster, or 2-dose ChAdOx1 followed by BNT162b2 booster. Disclosures: All Authors: No reported disclosures.
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Background. Although COVID-19 is a viral infection, it is known that antibiotics are often prescribed due to concerns about combined bacterial infection. Therefore, we aimed to analyze how many patients with COVID-19 received the antibiotic prescription as well as what kinds of factors contributed to it using the National Health Insurance database. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed claims data for adults 19 years of age and older hospitalized for COVID-19 from December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020. According to severity classification of the National Institutes of Health guidelines, we calculated not only the proportion of patients receiving antibiotics but also days of treatment per 1000 patient days. In addition, we investigated the factors contributing to antibiotic use by linear regression analysis. Results. Of the 55,228 patients, 47% were male, 55% were older than 50 years of age, and most patients (89%) had no underlying diseases. The majority (84%, 46,576) were classified as having mild to moderate illness, with 11% (6,168) and 5% (2,484) having severe and critical, respectively. Antibiotics were prescribed in a total of 27% (15,081). While 74% of patients with severe illness and 88% of those with critical illness received antibiotic treatment, even 18% of mild to moderate cases were prescribed antibiotics. Fluoroquinolones were the most commonly prescribed antibiotics (8,348), followed by third generation cephalosporins (5,729) and beta-lactam/betalactamase inhibitors (3,822) as shown in Figure 1. Older age, severity of disease and underlying medical conditions contributed to overall prescription rates as well as days of antibiotic use significantly (Table 1). Conclusion. Although most of COVID-19 patients had mild to moderate illness, more than a quarter were prescribed antibiotics. Judicious use of broad-spectrum antibiotics is necessary for COVID-19 patients, considering the severity of disease and the risk of bacterial co-infection.
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Background. There are few data on immune correlation of protection from breakthrough Omicron (B.1.1.529) infection in individuals who received booster vaccines. We thus compared a neutralizing antibody titers against Omicron within the first month after the mRNA booster at the time before omicron wave between healthcare works (HCWs) who experienced Omicron breakthrough infections and HCWs without Omicron infections. Methods. We enrolled HCWs without the history of SARS-CoV-2 infection who agreed with blood sampling 2 weeks after booster vaccination at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea, between November 2021 and December 2022 (Delta dominant era). We identified breakthrough infections by performing SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR though nasopharyngeal swab specimen in HCWs who had COVID-19-related symptoms or had known exposure to confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, between 1 February and 25 April 2022 (Omicron dominant era). SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG antibody titers were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma levels of live-virus neutralizing antibodies were measured using a microneutralization assay with SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants. Results. Among 134 HCWs, 69 (52%) received two-dose ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 followed by BNT162b2, 50 (37%) three-dose BNT162b2, and 15 (11%) 3-dose mRNA-1273. Of them, 57 (43%) experienced breakthrough Omicron infection at median 121 days (IQR 99-147) after booster vaccination (breakthrough group), and the remaining 77 (57%) did not experience Omicron infection (non-breakthrough group). There was no significant different in 'peak' SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG level between breakthrough group (median 4484.4 IU/mL) and non-breakthrough group (median 4194.9 IU/mL, p value=0.39). In addition, there was no significant difference in 'peak' neutralizing antibody titer (ID50) against Omicron between breakthrough group (median 2597.9) and non-breakthrough group (median 2597.9, p value=0.86). (Table Presented) Serum samples were obtained from 134 healthcare workers 2 weeks after booster vaccination. Samples were analysed for SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG antibody titers using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and plasma levels of live-virus neutralizing antibodies using a microneutralization assay with SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants. There was no significant difference in 'peak' SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG level (A) and 'peak' neutralizing antibody titer (ID50) against Omicron (B) between breakthrough group and non-breakthrough group. Conclusion. We did not find the correlation of neutralizing antibody titers about several months before infection with breakthrough Omicron infections. These data suggest rapidlywaning neutralizing titers to protect mild illnesses or asymptomaticOmicron infections several months after current booster COVID-19 vaccination in HCWs.
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Background. Pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection are known to have a poor prognosis. In addition, the previous meta-analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates born from pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection is about 2%. However, there are limited data on the clinical characteristics of pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection and their neonates and the vertical transmission rate in South Korea. Methods. Pregnant women confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 infection were retrospectively reviewed in Asan Medical Center from September 1 2020 to April 26 2022. All neonates from SARS-CoV-2-infected women underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR within 24 hours after the birth and 48-hour interval if he or she stayed in the hospital. Results. A total of 60 pregnant women gave birth by cesarean section (n=40, 67%) or vaginal delivery (n=20, 33%). Among them, three women gave birth to twins (63 neonates). Delivery was carried out at the average gestational age of 268 days (+/- 14.0), and 9 patients (15%) had underlying diseases. Of these 60 patients, 11 (18%) received COVID-19 vaccination. Pneumonia was confirmed by chest radiograph in 7 patients (12%), and 2 patient (3%) required supplemental oxygen therapy who eventually recovered. The mean weight of 63 newborns was 3137 g (+/- 558), and 8 neonate (13%) was a low-birth weight (< 2500 g), and 12 neonate (19%) was premature (< gestational age 37 weeks). Apgar score was 8.1 points (+/- 1.2) at 1 minute and 9.1 points (+/- 0.8) at 5 minutes. Five neonates (8%) required mechanical ventilation, who eventually recovered. All 63 neonates revealed negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR results with 24 hours after the birth. After 48 hours, 45 newborns exhibited negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR results. So, there was no vertical transmission among 63 neonates (0%, 95% CI 0-6). Conclusion. Our experiences about pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection revealed that obstetric outcomes were favorable and the vertical transmission risk was low. Balancing risks about the infection control of pregnant women and their neonates during the COVID-19 pandemic are needed.
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Background. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 5 to 20 days of isolation for COVID-19 patients depending on symptom duration and severity regardless of genomic PCR results or vaccination history. However, in real clinical practice, more individualized approach is required. We thus developed clinical scoring system to predict viable viral shedding in a given patient by using various factors affecting viable viral shedding. Methods. We prospectively enrolled adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to tertiary hospital and day care center between February 2020 and January 2022. The daily dense respiratory sampling (i.e. saliva, sputum, or nasopharyngeal swabs) during the hospital and day care center stay were obtained. Genomic RNA viral load and viral culture were performed for these samples. Clinical predictors of negative viral culture results were identified using survival analysis and multivariable analysis. Results. A total of 612 samples from 121 patients of varying degrees of severity were obtained. Of these, 494 (81%) samples were saliva, 63 (10%) were nasopharyngeal swab, and the remaining 55 (9%) were sputum. Of these 612 specimens, 154 (25%) samples revealed positive viral culture results. Univariate and multivariable Cox's time varying proportional hazard model revealed that symptom onset day, viral copy number, disease severity, organ transplant recipient, gender, and vaccination status were independently associated with viral culture results. We thus developed the 5-factor model from -3 to 3 points: viral copy number (-3 to 3 points depending on copy number), disease severity (1 point to moderate to critical diseases), organ transplant recipient (2 points), gender (-1 points to male), and vaccination status (-2 points to fully vaccinated status). The predictive culture-negative rates were calculated through the symptom onset day and the score of the day the sample was collected. Conclusion. Our clinical scoring system can provide objective probability of negative culture results in a given COVID-19 patient with genomic viral load, and appears to be useful to decide de-isolation policy depending on individualized factors associated with viable viral shedding beyond simple symptom-based isolation strategy by CDC.
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Background. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant strain B.1.1.529 (omicron) has been less virulent than SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 variant (delta), but there are limited data on the comparison of the cause of death between delta variant and omicron variant infections. We thus compared the causes of death in COVID-19 patients with the delta variant and omicron variant. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of adult patients with COVID-19 who were admitted at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea, between July 2021 and March 2022. We divided into delta-variant dominant period (from July 2021 to December 2021) and omicron-dominant period (from February 2022 to March 2022) with the exclusion of January 2022 because this period was overlapping of delta and omicron variant. The causes of death were classified into COVID-19-associated pneumonia, other causes, and indeterminate cause. Results. A total of 654 patients with COVID-19 were admitted and 42 (6.4%) died during the omicron dominant period (between February and March 2022), while a total of 366 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized and 42 (11.5%) died during the delta dominant period (between July and December 2021). The primary cause of death was COVID-19-associated pneumonia in 64% (27/42) during the omicron era whereas that was COVID-19-associated pneumonia in 88% (37/42) during the delta era (p value=0.01) (Table 1). Conclusion. We found that about two thirds of patients with omicron variant infection died due to COVID-19, while the majority of patients with delta variant infection died due to COVID-19.
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Background. Understanding the rate and composition of bacterial co-infection is important to determine antibiotic therapy in SARS-CoV-2 infection, but those vary according to healthcare settings and regional differences. We evaluated the rate of bacterial co-infection in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a single tertiary hospital in South Korea. Methods. In this retrospective study, all the adult patients with COVID-19 hospitalized between Feb 2020 and Dec 2021 were included. Bacterial co-infection rate was assessed by results of sputum cultures, blood cultures, pneumococcal urinary antigen, Legionella urinary antigen, sputum Legionella pneumophilia PCR, and sputum multiplex PCR for Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Characteristics and outcomes of patients were evaluated according to antibiotics exposure prior to hospitalization. Results. Of 367 adult patients, 300 (81.7%) patients having sputum culture results were included in the analysis. Of these, 127 (42.3%) had a history of antibiotic exposure within 1 month before hospitalization. The coinfection rate within 48 hours of hospitalization was confirmed in 8.3% (25/300): 6.4% (11/163) of patients without prior antibiotic exposure and 11% (14/127) of patients with prior antibiotic exposure. In the group without prior antibiotic exposure, pathogens responsible for community-onset infections were isolated, whereas nosocomial pathogens were predominantly isolated in the antibiotic-exposed group. Empirical antibiotics were used in 144 (66%) of 275 patients without positive results for microbiological tests. Empirical antibiotic use in patients without positive results for microbiological tests was not significantly associated with 30-day mortality or in-hospital mortality after adjusting covariates including age, sex, comorbidity, anti-inflammatory treatment, and COVID-19 severity. Conclusion. In this study with a high rate of microbiological testing, bacterial coinfection was not frequent, and the results varied depended on previous exposure to antibiotics. Given the rarity of bacterial co-infection and the lack of potential benefits of empirical antibiotic therapy, the antibiotic use in patients with COVID-19 should be restricted as an important target of antibiotic stewardship. (Table Presented).
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Background: Cancer patients infected with COVID-19 are very vulnerable to increased complications and mortality while actively being treated with chemotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The full impact of COVID-19 infections on this subset of patients has not been fully defined. Our goal was to track clinical outcomes in patients with an underlying malignancy and COVID-19 infection who received chemotherapy or ICIs. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 121 patients (age > 18 years) at the University of Alabama-Birmingham from January 2020 till November 2021 with an advanced solid malignancy that were treated with chemotherapy or ICIs within 12 months of their COVID-19 diagnosis. The aim of this study was to track clinical outcomes including: hospitalization rates, ICU admissions, treatments, and deaths of any cause. Results: A total of 121 patients were examined in this study and 61 received immunotherapy treatment within 12 months. The median age at diagnosis for the ICI group was 62.3 years and 54% were male while for the patients that receive chemotherapy the median age at diagnosis was 65.1 years and 53% were male (Table1). The 3 most common cancers represented in the ICI cohort were lung (30%, NSCLC), liver (13%, HCC) and renal (11%, RCC). While in the chemotherapy group, the 3 most cancers were NSCLC (40%), HCC (12%,), and head & neck (10%, H&N). 25% of patients on ICIs died while only 13% of patients died post chemotherapy. Of the ICI patients that died, 33% were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 53% received oxygen, steroids and antiviral therapy. For the chemotherapy patients that died, 25% were admitted to the ICU and 50% received oxygen, steroids and antiviral therapy. Patients with lower ECOG (0.98) had lower mortality compared to patients with worse functional status (0.98 vs 1.52;t = 3.20;p < 0.01). Factors associated with increased admission were higher ECOG (1.07 vs 1.67;f = 3.05;p = 0.05), higher AST (21.2 vs 40.9, f = 10.2;p < 0.001), lower absolute lymphocyte count (1122.8 vs 408.9, f = 5.99;p < 0.01) and higher oxygen needs (0.02 vs 1.11, f = 29.5;p < 0.001). Conclusions: ICI mortality was higher compared to patients receiving chemotherapy, especially for those with reduced functional status. Factors for hospitalization included: higher ECOG, higher AST, lower lymphocyte count and increased oxygen needs. However, further investigation still needs to be undertaken to understand if the PD-1-PD-L1 pathway with the subsequent inflammatory cascade post COVID-19 can impact overall survival.
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Past studies have been conducted to identify whether short-haul (SH) or long-haul (LH) pilots experience a higher level of stress during a single flight. An extensive literature review revealed high stress levels in both groups (i.e., LH pilots were more stressed than SH pilots, and vice versa). To investigate these mixed results, quantitative and qualitative survey data were collected from 49 international commercial airline pilots from various countries in the Asia-Pacific, Europe and in North America. The General Health Questionnaire–12 (GHQ-12) was used to measure the stress levels of pilots during the pandemic. The study found that there was no significant difference between the stress levels of SH pilots compared to the stress levels of medium-, long-, and ultra long-haul pilots. To further investigate stress levels, pilots’ qualitative responses indicated that 75.5% of pilots were impacted by factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased stress associated with the uncertain future of the aviation industry, and income instability. In summary, this study aims to raise the attention of industry stakeholders such as aviation authorities and airlines of the need for targeted initiatives to support pilots who are most vulnerable to high-stress levelsas. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Background: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has emerged as a global pandemic. While immune responses of the adaptive immune system have been in the focus of research, the role of Natural killer (NK) cells in COVID-19 remains poorly understood. Methods: We characterized NK cell-mediated SARS-CoV-2 antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against SARS-CoV-2 spike-1 (S1) and nucleocapsid (NC) protein using NK cell degranulation (CD107a) and killing assays. Results: Serum samples from SARS-CoV-2 resolvers induced significant CD107a expression by NK cells in response to S1 and NC (p < 0.0001), while serum samples from SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals did not. Furthermore, serum samples from individuals that received the BNT162b2 vaccine induced strong CD107a expression by NK cells that increased with the second vaccination and was significantly higher than observed in infected individuals (p < 0.0001). As expected, vaccine-induced responses were directed against S1 and not against NC protein. S1-specific CD107a responses by NK cells were significantly correlated to NK cell-mediated killing of S1-expressing cells (r = 0.86, p = 1.82 x 10-6). Interestingly, screening of serum samples collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic identified two individuals with cross-reactive antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 S1, which also induced degranulation of NK cells. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection and anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines can trigger significant NK cell-mediated ADCC activity, and identify some cross-reactive ADCC activity against SARS-CoV-2 by endemic coronavirus-specific antibodies.
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Purpose: To analyze the change in the weekly incidence of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) per 1,000 outpatients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by comparing the mean weekly proportion of EKC of 2020 with that from 2016 to 2019. Methods: Using data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency for 2016-2020, we analyzed the weekly proportion of EKC per 1,000 outpatients. The data were also analyzed according to age, semester and vacation periods, region, and social distancing stages. For the Daegu data, we also analyzed the effects of social distancing in an area. Results: The mean weekly proportion of EKC per 1,000 outpatients in 2020 was lower than in previous years for all ages (2016-2019 19.77 ± 7.17 , 2020 7.28 ± 2.97 ;p 0.001). During the semester, the mean difference between 2016-2019 and 2020 was significant, particularly for preschool children. In Daegu, the weekly proportion of EKC per 1,000 outpatients during the extra 12-18 weeks of social distancing was significantly lower (2016-2019, 18.78 ± 6.61 ;2020, 8.94 ± 2.92 ;p 0.001). Conclusions: The public health interventions implemented during the COVID-19 outbreak not only reduced the prevalence of COVID-19 but also reduced the prevalence of EKC. Therefore, maintaining hygiene principles and standard precautions may help prevent EKC. © 2022 Korean Ophthalmological Society (KOS). All rights reserved.
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Happiness is an important factor influencing academic performance, and many college freshmen have experienced adjustment difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. We applied Q methodology to explore South Korean freshmen students' perceptions of happiness in 2020. Participants were divided into three groups according to perceptions of happiness: (a) those who considered relationships as vital for happiness, (b) those who considered freedom to have new experiences as vital for happiness, and (c) those who considered setting and achieving goals as vital for happiness. These findings can serve as basic data for the development of curricula and programs to help college freshmen adapt to college life. © 2021 Scientific Journal Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved
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Introduction: ACE inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) use in COVID-19 raised concern due to reported increases in ACE2, the cell receptor for SARS-CoV2. We tested the hypothesis that ARB (Losartan) and ACEI (Captopril) do not impact SARS-CoV2 associated ACE2 expression in cardiomyocytes (CMs). Methods: Beating monolayer ventricular CMs were generated from human iPSCs and grown as engineered heart tissue constructs (EHTs), which mimic a more mature phenotype than monolayer CMs. Drug treatments (24hrs) without pseudovirus were applied to EHTs: (A) Vehicle, 1μM Losartan (ARB), 1μM Angiotensin II (AngII), 1μM Losartan+1μM Ang II;(B) Vehicle, 1μM Captopril, 1μM Ang I, or 1μM AngI+1μM Captopril with 2-3 replicates for each combination and RNAseq as outcome. Drug treatment A only was repeated in monolayer CMs with a 5-6 day to rVSV-SARS-Cov2SpikeLuciferase-FLAG tagged pseudovirus (2-4 replicates) with immunoblotting for ACE2, Cathepsin B (CTSB) and Furin proteins. Results: Immunoblot densitometry showed abundant ACE2 protein in untreated CMs and EHTs. A focused mRNA analysis of 12 genes associated with SARS-Cov2 entry and processing (EHTs) revealed no significant changes in expression of ACE2, NRP1, CTSB, CTSL and FURIN due to Losartan or Captopril treatment. There was a nonsignificant trend towards Losartan-induced increase in AGTR1 with attenuation when AngII was administered, while ITGA5 trended upwards with Losartan+AngII. AGTRI also trended upwards with Captopril and AngI+Captopril. Upon pseudoviral challenge, CMs demonstrated increased ACE2 (55%) and slightly decreased Furin (24%) protein, with unchanged CTSB, although results were not statistically significant. Losartan addition, regardless of AngII, did not alter SARS-CoV2Spike pseudovirus mediated changes of ACE2, Furin or CTSB proteins. Conclusions: Losartan or Captopril did not substantially alter gene expression of ACE2, CTSB, CTSL, FURIN and NRP1 in EHTs without pseudovirus. Losartan did not show convincing evidence for pseudoviral mediated changes of proteins important for viral entry and processing in CM cell models.