Why do we vent our emotions and blame others during the coronavirus pandemic? The role of emotional clarity in the United States and South Korea (¿Por qué ventilamos nuestras emociones y culpabilizamos a otras personas durante la pandemia del coronavirus? El rol de la claridad emocional en los Estados Unidos y Corea del Sur)

People have been experiencing more negative affect (NA) during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic than prior to its onset. This may increase instances of people venting their emotions and blaming others to relieve the flood of unregulated NA. This study examined individuals' venting and blaming processes within the context of the pandemic and explored the mediating role of emotional clarity across cultures. We conducted an online survey with 210 and 197 participants from the US and South Korea, respectively. The results of the moderated mediation analysis showed that individuals' NA during the pandemic significantly affected their venting and blaming via emotional clarity among US participants. This finding implies that when people in individualistic cultures do not fully understand their emotions, they are more likely to vent to or blame others. This can serve as a potential risk factor for hate crimes during the pandemic. Conversely, the mediation effect of emotional clarity was not significant among South Korean participants, suggesting dissimilar roles played by emotional clarity in individualistic versus collectivistic cultures in managing NA. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] RESUMEN Las personas han estado experimentando más afectos negativos (AN) durante la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019 que antes de su aparición. Esto puede aumentar los casos de personas que ventilan sus emociones y culpabilizan a los demás para aliviar el flujo de afectos negativos (AN) no regulados. Este estudio analizó los procesos de ventilación emocional y culpabilización de los individuos en el contexto de la pandemia, y estudió el rol mediador de la claridad emocional entre culturas. Realizamos una encuesta online con 210 y 197 participantes de Estados Unidos y Corea del Sur, respectivamente. Los resultados del análisis de mediación moderada mostraron que los AN de los individuos durante la pandemia afectaron significativamente su forma de ventilar sus emociones y culpabilizar a través de la claridad emocional entre los participantes de los Estados Unidos. Este hallazgo implica que cuando las personas de culturas individualistas no conocen plenamente sus emociones, tienen más probabilidades de ventilarlas o de culpabilizar a otros. Esto puede servir como un factor de riesgo potencial para delitos de odio durante la pandemia. Y a la inversa, el efecto de mediación de la claridad emocional no fue significativa entre los participantes de Corea del Sur, lo que sugiere que los roles de la claridad emocional no son similares en las culturas individualistas y en las culturas colectivistas a la hora de gestionar los AN. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Revista de Psicologia Social is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Outcomes of SOT Recipients With COVID-19 in Different Eras of COVID-19 Therapeutics.

BACKGROUND: Few reports have focused on newer coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) therapies (remdesivir, dexamethasone, and convalescent plasma) in solid organ transplant recipients; concerns had been raised regarding possible adverse impact on allograft function or secondary infections. METHODS: We studied 77 solid organ transplant inpatients with COVID-19 during 2 therapeutic eras (Era 1: March-May 2020, 21 patients; and Era 2: June-November 2020, 56 patients) and 52 solid organ transplant outpatients. RESULTS: In Era 1, no patients received remdesivir or dexamethasone, and 4 of 21 (19.4%) received convalescent plasma, whereas in Era 2, remdesivir (24/56, 42.9%), dexamethasone (24/56, 42.9%), and convalescent plasma (40/56, 71.4%) were commonly used. Mortality was low across both eras, 4 of 77 (5.6%), and rejection occurred in only 2 of 77 (2.8%) inpatients; infections were similar in hypoxemic patients with or without dexamethasone. Preexisting graft dysfunction was associated with greater need for hospitalization, higher severity score, and lower survival. Acute kidney injury was present in 37.3% of inpatients; renal function improved more rapidly in patients who received remdesivir and convalescent plasma. Post-COVID-19 renal and liver function were comparable between eras, out to 90 d. CONCLUSIONS: Newer COVID-19 therapies did not appear to have a deleterious effect on allograft function, and infectious complications were comparable.

Comparison of humoral immunogenicity in solid organ transplant recipients after third-dose mRNA vaccine with homologous or heterologous schedules: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) are susceptible to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, immunogenicity studies of the Omicron variants per vaccination schedules are still lacking. We examined humoral immunogenicity following third-dose mRNA vaccine administration in Korean SOTRs who received primary COVID-19 vaccine series on homologous or heterologous schedules. METHODS: We recruited SOTRs at Severance Hospital from October 27, 2021, to March 31, 2022. Blood samples were collected between 14 days and 5 months after the second and third mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) doses. SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG titer was analyzed. The neutralization inhibition rate was analyzed using the surrogate neutralization assay for the wild-type, Delta, and Omicron variants. RESULTS: No significant differences existed in the SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG positivity rate between the homologous BNT162b2/BNT162b2/BNT162b2 (85%) and other heterologous groups (83% of ChAdOx1/ChAdOx1/BNT162b2, 90% of ChAdOx1/ChAdOx1/mRNA-1273, and 78% of ChAdOx1/BNT162b2/BNT162b2). No significant difference existed in the neutralization inhibition rates between the four groups for wild-type, Delta, and Omicron variants. Median neutralization inhibition rates against the Omicron variant (2-5%) were significantly lower than those against the wild-type (87-97%) and Delta (55-89%) variants (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the schedule, the neutralization inhibition rate against the Omicron variant was poor; therefore, additional preventive measures are required in such high-risk populations.

Three-Dimensional Foot Position Estimation Based on Footprint Shadow Image Processing and Deep Learning for Smart Trampoline Fitness System.

In the wake of COVID-19, the digital fitness market combining health equipment and ICT technologies is experiencing unexpected high growth. A smart trampoline fitness system is a new representative home exercise equipment for muscle strengthening and rehabilitation exercises. Recognizing the motions of the user and evaluating user activity is critical for implementing its self-guided exercising system. This study aimed to estimate the three-dimensional positions of the user's foot using deep learning-based image processing algorithms for footprint shadow images acquired from the system. The proposed system comprises a jumping fitness trampoline; an upward-looking camera with a wide-angle and fish-eye lens; and an embedded board to process deep learning algorithms. Compared with our previous approach, which suffered from a geometric calibration process, a camera calibration method for highly distorted images, and algorithmic sensitivity to environmental changes such as illumination conditions, the proposed deep learning algorithm utilizes end-to-end learning without calibration. The network is configured with a modified Fast-RCNN based on ResNet-50, where the region proposal network is modified to process location regression different from box regression. To verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed algorithm, a series of experiments are performed using a prototype system with a robotic manipulator to handle a foot mockup. The three root mean square errors corresponding to X, Y, and Z directions were revealed to be 8.32, 15.14, and 4.05 mm, respectively. Thus, the system can be utilized for motion recognition and performance evaluation of jumping exercises.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Outbreak Without Influenza in the Second Year of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A National Sentinel Surveillance in Korea, 2021-2022 Season.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate whether respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus (IFV) infections would occur in 2021-2022 as domestic nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are easing. METHODS: Data were collected from the Korean Influenza and Respiratory Virus Monitoring System database. The weekly positivity rates of respiratory viruses and number of hospitalizations for acute respiratory infections were evaluated (January 2016-2022). The period from February 2020 to January 2022 was considered the NPI period. The autoregressive integrated moving average model and Poisson analysis were used for data analysis. Data from 14 countries/regions that reported positivity rates of RSV and IFV were also investigated. RESULTS: Compared with the pre-NPI period, the positivity and hospitalization rates for IFV infection during 2021-2022 significantly decreased to 0.0% and 1.0%, respectively, at 0.0% and 1.2% of the predicted values, respectively. The RSV infection positivity rate in 2021-2022 was 1.8-fold higher than that in the pre-NPI period at 1.5-fold the predicted value. The hospitalization rate for RSV was 20.0% of that in the pre-NPI period at 17.6% of the predicted value. The re-emergence of RSV and IFV infections during 2020-2021 was observed in 13 and 4 countries, respectively. CONCLUSION: During 2021-2022, endemic transmission of the RSV, but not IFV, was observed in Korea.

Social Motivation to Comply with COVID-19 Guidelines in Daily Life in South Korea and the United States.

Collectivism assessed at the national level has been suggested as a psychological factor that affects compliance with COVID-19 guidelines in daily life. The level of assessment and conceptual construct of collectivism, however, vary across studies, which calls for the need to clarify the power of collectivism in explaining individuals' compliance behaviour. With this aim, we investigated individual-level collectivism, the unique variance and other relevant factors, such as altruism (e.g., for the family, community, and humanity) and impression management (e.g., what others would think of me) in explaining compliance with COVID-19 guidelines in US and South Korean participants. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that collectivism was a significant factor that explained compliance only in the US participants, whereas impression management was significant and explained the additional variance over collectivism in compliance in both the US and South Korean participants. The findings suggest the importance of elucidating the overlap between collectivism and impression management in studies exploring COVID-19 guideline adherence in daily life.

Matched Versus Mixed COVID-19 Vaccinations in Korean Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: An Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) are vulnerable to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and exhibit poor antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines. Herein, we compared the humoral immunogenicity of a mixed vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 [ChAd]/BNT162b2 [BNT]) with that of conventional matched vaccines (mRNA, adenoviral vector [AdV-Vec]) in SOTRs. METHODS: Serum samples were collected at Severance Hospital (Seoul, Korea) between September and October 2021 (14 d-5 mo after COVID-19 vaccination; V2). The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antispike IgG titer (BAU/mL; ELISA) and neutralization inhibition (percentage; neutralization assay) were compared between vaccination groups overall and stratified by V2 (poststudy vaccination visit) timing. RESULTS: Of the 464 participants, 143 (31%) received mRNA vaccines, 170 (37%) received AdV-Vec vaccines, and 151 (33%) received mixed vaccines (all ChAd/BNT). The geometric mean titer for the ChAd/BNT group was 3.2-fold higher than that of the AdV-Vec group (geometric mean ratio, 3.2; confidence interval, 1.9-5.4) but lower than that of the mRNA group (geometric mean ratio, 0.4; confidence interval, 0.2-0.7). Neutralization inhibition in the ChAd/BNT group was 32%, which was higher than that in the AdV-Vec group (21%; P < 0.001) but lower than that in the mRNA group (55%; P = 0.02). There was no difference in geometric mean titer by V2 timing (ChAd/BNT, 45 versus 31, days 14-60; mRNA, 28 versus 15, days 61-150). CONCLUSIONS: The ChAd/BNT group showed higher humoral immunogenicity than the AdV-Vec group, with similar immunogenicity to the mRNA vaccine. Nevertheless, immunogenicity following the primary vaccination series was poor in all vaccine groups, supporting the justification for booster vaccination in SOTRs.

Temporal Correlation Between Kawasaki Disease and Infectious Diseases in South Korea.

Importance: Infections are proposed to be triggering factors for Kawasaki disease (KD), although its etiological factors remain unknown. Recent reports have indicated a 4- to 6-week lag between SARS-CoV-2 infection and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with a similar presentation to that of KD. Objective: To investigate the temporal correlation between KD and viral infections, focusing on respiratory viruses. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study was conducted among individuals aged 0 to 19 years diagnosed with KD between January 2010 and September 2020 from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Data on infectious disease outbreaks from 2016 to 2019 were collected from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Korean Influenza and Respiratory Virus Monitoring System, Korea Enteroviruses Surveillance System, and the Enteric Pathogens Active Surveillance Network in South Korea. Data were analyzed from December 2020 to October 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures: National databases for infectious diseases were used for a time-series analysis of the correlation between viral infections and KD. The temporal correlation between infectious disease outbreaks and KD outbreaks was evaluated using the Granger causality test (G-test), which is a useful tool to estimate correlations between 2 time series of diseases based on time lags. Results: Overall, 53 424 individuals with KD were identified, including 22 510 (42.1%) females and 30 914 (57.9%) males and 44 276 individuals (82.9%) younger than 5 years. Intravenous immunoglobulin-resistant KD was identified in 9042 individuals (16.9%), and coronary artery abnormalities were identified in 384 individuals (0.7%). Of 14 infectious diseases included in the analyses, rhinovirus infection outbreaks were identified as significantly correlated at 1 to 3 months before KD outbreaks in South Korea (r = 0.3; 1 month: P < .001; 2 months: P < .001; 3 months: P < .001). Outbreaks of respiratory syncytial virus infection were identified as significantly correlated with KD outbreaks by 2 months (r = 0.5; 2 months: P < .001). Additionally, varicella outbreaks were identified as significantly correlated at 2 and 3 months before KD outbreaks (r = 0.7; 2 months: P < .001; 3 months: P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study with a time series analysis of children and youth in South Korea with KD, respiratory infections caused by rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus and varicella outbreaks were significantly correlated with KD at 1 to 3 months before KD outbreaks.

Respiratory syncytial virus and influenza epidemics disappearance in Korea during the 2020-2021 season of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) reduce winter-prevalent respiratory viral infections represented by a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus (IFV) during the winter in Korea. METHODS: The Korean Influenza and Respiratory Virus Monitoring System database was used. From January 2016 through January 2021, the weekly positivity of respiratory viruses and the weekly number of hospitalizations with acute respiratory infections were collected. The NPI period was defined as February 2020-January 2021. We analyzed whether hospitalization and sample positivity by respiratory viruses changed after NPIs. Bayesian structural time-series models and Poisson analyses were used. Data from other countries/regions reporting positive rates of RSV and IFV were also investigated. RESULTS: Compared with the pre-NPI period, the positive rates of RSV and IFV decreased significantly to 19% and 6%, and 23% and 6% of the predicted value. Also, hospitalization significantly decreased to 9% and 8%, and 10% and 5% of the predicted value. The positive rates of IFV in 14 countries during the NPI period were almost 0, whereas sporadic outbreaks of RSV occurred in some countries. CONCLUSIONS: No RSV and IFV winter epidemics were observed during the 2020-2021 season in Korea.

Mental Health Status and Its Influencing Factors: The Case of Nurses Working in COVID-19 Hospitals in South Korea.

The mental health of nurses participating in patient care is under threat amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to identify the mental health status (depression, anxiety, and stress) and its influencing factors on nurses who provided patient care at a specialized hospital for COVID-19 in South Korea. Of the 180 nurses who participated in this study, 30.6% had moderate or higher levels of depression, 41% had moderate or higher anxiety levels, and 19.4% had moderate or higher stress levels. In this study, stigma influenced nurses' mental health, such that the higher the stigma, the higher the nurses' depression, anxiety, and stress. Depression was higher in female nurses than in male nurses, and stress was higher in charge nurses than nurses in other job positions. Therefore, a management program should be designed to improve the mental health of nurses during the current pandemic. In particular, a solution to reduce stigma is required, and the mental health of female nurses and nurses in leadership roles requires special attention.

General Approach to the Clinical Care of Solid Organ Transplant Recipients with COVID-19 Infection: Management for Transplant Recipients.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Insufficient knowledge about COVID-19 and the potential risks of COVID-19 are limiting organ transplantation in wait-listed candidates and deferring essential health care in solid organ transplant recipients. In this review, we expand the understanding and present an overview of the optimized management of COVID-19 in solid organ transplant recipients. RECENT FINDINGS: Transplant recipients are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19. The unique characteristics of transplant recipients can make it more difficult to identify COVID-19. Based on the COVID-19 data to date and our experience, we present testing, management, and prevention methods for COVID-19. Comprehensive diagnostic tests should be performed to determine disease severity, phase of illness, and identify other comorbidities in transplant recipients diagnosed with COVID-19. Outpatients should receive education for preventative measures and optimal health care delivery minimizing potential infectious exposures. Multidisciplinary interventions should be provided to hospitalized transplant recipients for COVID-19 because of the complexity of caring for transplant recipients. SUMMARY: Transplant recipients should strictly adhere to infection prevention measures. Understanding of the transplant specific pathophysiology and development of effective treatment strategies for COVID-19 should be prioritized.