COVID-19 vaccination, incidence, and mortality rates among individuals with mental disorders in South Korea: a nationwide retrospective study

We examined COVID-19 vaccination, incidence, and mortality rates among patients with mental health disorders in South Korea from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021. The study found that individuals with mental disorders had higher COVID-19 incidence and mortality than those without. Patients with mood disorders had higher vaccination rates and COVID-19 incidence and mortality than those without mental disorders. In contrast, patients with schizophrenia had lower vaccination rates, slightly lower COVID-19 incidence, and higher COVID-19 mortality. Patients with mental health disorders have been vulnerable to COVID-19, and more attention should be paid to their vaccination and health needs.

Telecommuting-related health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea: a national population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Telecommuting has expanded greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the advent of remote working from home, there has been an ongoing controversy about the positive or negative health-related impact of telecommuting. This study aimed to investigate change in the occupational health risk in South Korean workers involved in telecommuting during the pandemic period compared to daily commuters. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study of South Korean workers using the secondary data from the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey (2020-2021) was designed. A total of 12,354 white-collar wage employees were selected as the study sample. Telecommuting, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, headache-eye strain, absenteeism, and presenteeism were measured by self-reported data. Multiple logistic regression models, including gender stratification analysis, were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the health outcomes of telecommuters. RESULTS: Among the study population, 338 males and 318 females were reported to be telecommuters. The entirely adjusted regression model showed a positive association between telecommuting and anxiety (AOR = 2.82; 95% CI, 1.93-4.10), insomnia (AOR = 1.93; 95% CI, 1.27-2.92), fatigue (AOR = 1.76; 95% CI, 1.30-2.37), musculoskeletal pain (AOR = 1,76; 95% CI, 1.33-2.32), headache-eye strain (AOR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.48-2.54), presenteeism (AOR = 1.66; 95% CI, 1.20-2.28) respectively. Gender difference was identified in that only female telecommuters had a higher risk of depression (AOR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.04-2.53) and insomnia (AOR = 2.07; 95% CI, 1.26-3.41) than daily commuters in the adjusted model. CONCLUSION: Telecommuting was significantly associated with an increased risk of various health problems among South Korean workers and females were identified as a more vulnerable group. Although further research is required to ascertain the causal relationship, public health intervention should be considered to prevent the negative effects of telecommuting.

Working from home, work-life balance, and depression/anxiety among Korean workers in the COVID-19 pandemic period: A mediation analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the association between working from home (WFH), depression/anxiety, and work-family conflict (WFC) among Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We surveyed a total of 1,074 workers online. Depression and anxiety were measured using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Mediating effects of WFC on the relationship between WFH and depression/anxiety were examined. RESULTS: The WFH group had higher depression and anxiety scores than the daily commuting group. As WFC increased, the CES-D and BAI scores also increased. A possible mediating effect of WFC on the relationship between WFH and high CES-D and BAI scores was found. CONCLUSION: We observed a significant difference in depression/anxiety between WFH and daily commute workers, which was mediated by WFC, especially for young, child-growing, and precarious workers.

Genomic epidemiology of SARS- CoV-2 Omicron variants in the Republic of Korea.

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic since 2019. Variants of concern (VOCs) declared by the World Health Organization require continuous monitoring because of their possible changes in transmissibility, virulence, and antigenicity. The Omicron variant, a VOC, has become the dominant variant worldwide since November 2021. In the Republic of Korea (South Korea), the number of confirmed cases increased rapidly after the detection of Omicron VOC on November 24, 2021. In this study, we estimated the underlying epidemiological processes of Omicron VOC in South Korea using time-scaled phylodynamic analysis. Three distinct phylogenetic subgroups (Kor-O1, Kor-O2, and Kor-O3) were detected in South Korea. The Kor-O1 subgroup circulated in the Daegu region, whereas Kor-O2 and Kor-O3 circulated in Incheon and Jeollanam-do, respectively. The viral population size and case number of the Kor-O1 subgroup increased more rapidly than those of the other subgroups, indicating the rapid spread of the virus. The results indicated the multiple introductions of Omicron sub-lineages into South Korea and their subsequent co-circulation. The evolution and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 should be continuously monitored, and control strategies need to be improved to control the multiple variants.

Washable Fabric Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Potential Application in Face Masks.

In order to counteract the COVID-19 pandemic by wearing face masks, we examine washable fabric-based triboelectric nanogenerators (FTENGs). We applied the flash-spun nonwoven fabric (FS fabric) into the FTENGs, comparing the melt-blown nonwoven fabric (MB fabric) based FTENGs, which is conventionally studied in the field of energy harvesting. For reusability, all our proposed FTENGs are systematically investigated by controlling the washing conditions. After washing, the degradation ratio of the obtained output voltage is found to be only 12.5% for FS FTENGs, compared to the ratio of about 50% for the typical MB FTENGs. A rather small degradation ratio for FS fabric cases has resulted from less changed fabric structure after washing due to more dense fabric nature. Additionally, in order to improve the electrical characteristics of FS FTENGs. Note that the output voltage of FTENGs exhibits as much as 600 V.

Association between sickness presenteeism and depressive symptoms in Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean workers have reported various types of sickness presenteeism (SP: continuing to attend work during illness). Understanding SP through mental health perspectives will help to make practical strategy for better working conditions. We examined the association between SP and depression among Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation with the socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. METHODS: Data from the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey were used as a representative nationwide sample dataset. We surveyed the experience of depression in the last two weeks from individuals who worked more than a week recently. We investigated the associations between SP and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were scored using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the significance of the associations. RESULTS: Analysis of the data obtained from 84,514 participants revealed that 1700 (2.2 %) participants reported experiencing depressive symptoms in 2020. Employees with SP showed higher association with depressive symptoms than employers or self-employed individuals (OR = 2.18, 95 % CI: 1.85, 2.56 among employees vs. OR = 1.76, 95 % CI: 1.29, 2.40 among employers or self-employed individuals). CONCLUSION: SP has become more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic. A protective strategy against SP among vulnerable workers is necessary for a healthier and safer society.

Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Levels After 2 BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine Doses.

Importance: The factors associated with long-term serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination in healthy individuals have rarely been investigated. Objective: To investigate factors associated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study included health care workers at Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital (Daegu, Korea) with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection who received 2 doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech; first dose, March 17-20, 2021; second dose, April 7-10, 2021). Serum samples were collected at 2, 4, and 6 months after the second injection. Interventions: SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Main Outcomes and Measures: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits up to 6 months after the receipt of 2 doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The main outcome was factors associated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels at 6 months. Results: All 50 participants (mean [SD] age, 34.7 [9.4] years; 10 [20.0%] male; mean [SD] body mass index, 21.8 [5.4]) acquired anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and maintained positive antibody (cutoff ≥30%) up to 6 months. The mean serum antibody level decreased with time (91.9%, 89.3%, and 81.5% at 2, 4, and 6 months, respectively). Serum antibody levels at 6 months were correlated with antibody levels at 2 months (R = 0.944; P < .001). The anti-SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody level was inversely correlated with weight, body mass index, body fat amount, and body weight to height ratio in Spearman correlation analysis. A 1-SD increase in body weight, weight to height ratio, and body mass index was associated with a 4%- to 5%-decrease in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in multiple linear regression analysis for women. In multivariate analysis for categorized variables, lower serum level of antibody (ie, <81.5%) was associated with weight (weight ≥55 kg: odds ratio, 9.01; 95% CI, 1.44-56.40). The probabilities of less than 70% and less than 80% antibody at 6 months were 0% and 11% in participants weighing less than 55 kg, respectively, but 16% and 42% in participants weighing 55 kg or greater. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, the inverse correlation of anti-SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels with weight was sustained up to 6 months after vaccination. A booster shot of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination may be given later than 6 months after the second dose in young and middle-aged healthy persons with low body weight.

A Well-Structured Follow-Up Program is Required after Recovery from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); Release from Quarantine is Not the End of Treatment.

During the Coronavirus Infection Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of patients released from quarantine is exceeding the number of newly diagnosed cases. This study is a retrospective cohort study in which consultation data were collected from a COVID-19 follow-up health consultation program. The studied population was selected from patients who recovered after quarantine and treatment for COVID-19 in Daegu City and in Gyeongsangbukdo province, Korea, from March to June 2020. The healthcare providers comprised 20 family-medicine specialists who consulted and educated the patients through phone calls in accordance with structured guidelines. Physical and mental status before and after recovery were compared among patients who received a single consultation and those who received two or more consultations. A total of 1604 subjects were selected for the final analysis. Of these, 1145 (71.4%) had one consultation and 459 (28.6%) had two or more. The group that had two or more consultations reported significantly more physical symptoms, more psychological symptoms (including depression), and more psychological stress. Multivariate forward selection logistic regression analysis showed that re-confirmed cases of COVID-19, physical symptoms after quarantine, feelings of depression, and psychological stress had a significant effect on the number of consultations received. In conclusion, COVID-19 has various physical and mental sequelae after discharge from quarantine. Therefore, a well-structured follow-up program is needed after recovery.