ABSTRACT
Background: The widespread of the newly emerged infectious human disease labeled coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a prolonged public health crisis of pandemic proportions. The emergence and severe consequences of COVID-19 heightened anxieties and concerns. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was developed recently to specifically measure the fear sensed by an individual about COVID-19. This study aimed to establish the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Korean version of the FCV-19S (KF-COVID-19S) in the context of a Korean university. Methods: Data were collected from 402 university students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs at a private university in the central region of South Korea. The sample was randomly bifurcated to execute exploratory factor analysis (EFA, N = 201) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, N = 201). Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was also applied to assess consistency. Results: Both the EFA and CFA supported a two-factor model: factor 1 (somatic symptoms) and factor 2 (emotional fear) were significantly correlated. Additionally, the two-factor model exhibited a superior fit to the data compared to the unidimensional and bifactor models. Cronbach's alpha revealed acceptable internal consistency. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the Korean version of the FCV-19S can multidimensionally assess the severity of fear of COVID-19. However, we recommend using the single FCV-19S total score for practical purposes, given the high correlation among factors, the robust reliability of the total scale, and items implying a higher order factor of the fear sensed by individuals toward COVID-19. © 2022 Lee and Kim.
ABSTRACT
Background/Aim: It is easy to predict that the actual COVID-19 pandemic would have had a negative impact on cancer screening activities and the outcomes of screenings, but to date, real-time population-based evidence to substantiate this concern is very scarce. In this study, to understand the changes in the behavior and performance of CRC screening following the COVID-19 pandemic, the indicators of CRC screening processes and outcome measures were compared with both monthly data in 2019 and monthly changes focusing on the peaks that appeared in 2020. Method: This population-based nationwide study used fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and colonoscopy claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance System (NHIS) from 2019 to 2020. Data were analyzed from 15,867,759 subjects in 2019 and 16,155,930 subjects in 2020. We compared the data of CRC screening (FIT/ colonoscopy) of the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020) with those of the same period of 2019. Result: In the COVID-19 period, 3,445,660 (21.3%) subjects underwent FIT, whereas in 2019, 6,490,707 (40.9%) subjects performed FIT (almost 2-fold). Participation rate in colonoscopy after FIT positive fell in 2020 by 36.0% compared with the average rate recorded in 2019 (44.5%). In particular, it was confirmed that the participation rate of the CRC screening further decreased immediately after the COVID-19 peak periods (first and second wave: March 2020 and August 2020). Conclusion: The overall adherences to CRC screening tests decreased substantially during COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, urgent modulation for not only easier access but also planning a restart for CRC screening is needed to address the growing burden of under-detected CRC in Korea.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread, information about COVID-19 and skin disease or related biologics is still lacking. OBJECTIVES: To identify the association between COVID-19 and skin diseases or biologics. METHODS: A nationwide claim dataset relevant to COVID-19 in South Korea was analysed. This dataset included insurance claim data before and during COVID-19 treatment and clinical outcomes. Claim data related to skin diseases and relevant biologics were analysed to determine the association of COVID-19 with skin diseases and relevant biologics. RESULTS: The dataset contained a total of 234 427 individuals (111 947 male and 122 480 female) who underwent COVID-19 testing. Of them, 7590 (3·2%) were confirmed as having COVID-19, and 227 (3·0%) confirmed patients died. Among various skin diseases and biologics, no significant increase in the presence of specific skin diseases or exposure to biologics was observed in the COVID-19-positive group, even after adjusting for or matching covariates. The presence of skin diseases and exposure to biologics also did not seem to affect clinical outcomes including mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Underlying skin diseases did not appear to increase susceptibility to COVID-19 or mortality from COVID-19. Considering the risks and benefits, biologics for dermatological conditions might be continuously used during the COVID-19 pandemic.