OBJECTIVE: To analyze the usage of mental health assistance hotline during COVID-19 in Zhejiang province from January 25th to February 29th 2020, and summarize the characteristics of the demand for mental health services and the dynamic changes of public mental health status during COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The calls related to pandemic were divided into four categories: medical, psychological, information and the others. The secondary categories of psychological calls were determined by text analysis. The number of calls were calculated weekly and the number of various types of calls over time were analyzed. We used stratified random sampling method to extract 600 cases of all kinds of calls related to pandemic and conducted a semantic analysis, through marking new, similar combination to form a feature set, then summed up the call content characteristics of each stage. Two hundred callers were followed up to understand how they felt about the call process in four aspects: the waiting time, call duration, the degree of problem-solving and the way to end the call. RESULTS: In a total of 13 746 calls, 8978 were related to pandemic, among which 12.59%(1130/8978) were about medical issues, 26.50%(2379/8978) were about mental health, 27.18%(2440/8978) were about information regarding the pandemic and 33.74%(3029/8978) were about other pandemic related issues. Pandemic situation, relevant policy release, frequency of advertising campaigns were predictors of the number of calls per day during the pandemic (<0.05 or <0.01). The number of calls differed by gender and identities of callers (both <0.05). Finally 181 callers accepted telephone follow-up. Among them, 51.38%(93/181) of the callers thought that the waiting time was too long, 33.15%(60/181) of the callers thought that the call time was insufficient, 80.66%(146/181) of callers believed that the hotline could partially or completely resolve their concerns, and 39.23%(71/181) of the callers said the operator proposed to end the call. CONCLUSIONS s The changes of the number and content of the mental health assistance hotline calls reflected that the public mental health status experienced four stages during the pandemic: confusion, panic, boredom, and adjustment. The specialized mental health assistance hotlines should be further strengthened, and the efficiency should be improved. Mental health interventions should be tailored and adopted according to the characteristics of the public mental health status at different stages of the pandemic.
China ; epidemiology ; Coronavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; Hotlines ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Mental Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Pandemics ; statistics & numerical data ; Pneumonia, Viral ; epidemiology ; Public Health ; statistics & numerical data

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare the incidence rate of influenza-like illnesses between an influenza-vaccinated group and a non-vaccinated group of adults. METHODS: From July 1, 2015 to July 30, 2015, self-reporting questionnaires were given to 300 adults living in the Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, Korea. 265 survey questionnaires that had an earnest response were used for data analysis. The collected data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS Win 18.0 version. RESULTS: 52.1% of the participants were vaccinated. The incidence rate of influenza-like illnesses was 11.3%. Within the influenza-vaccinated group, 12.3% experienced an influenza-like illness. On the other hand, in the non-vaccinated group, 10.2% experienced an influenza-like illness. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of influenza-like illness depending on vaccination status. CONCLUSION: During the influenza season from Fall 2014 to Spring 2015, there was no significant difference on the prevalence of influenza-like illness between the study participants whether they were vaccinated or not. Thus, future studies should confirm and closely examine this fact, whether it was a matter of pandemic strain selection or whether there were differences in the effects of adult influenza vaccination as reported in previous studies.
Adult ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Pandemics ; Prevalence ; Seasons ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVE: To study the working experience of COVID-19 care nurses. METHODS: Twenty two nurses taking care of COVID-19 patients were interviewed by means of descriptive phenomenology. All the data were transcribed and recorded, and then processed into WORD documents. The Colaizzi 7 footwork was used to classify, encode, establish nodes and extract themes based on Nvivo11.0 software. RESULTS: Two main themes were extracted: one is the positive feelings of nurses, including the sense of professional mission and pride, the sense of achievement and happiness, the improvement of self-worth and ability, the powerful support system and the power of role models; the other is the negative experience of nurses, including the worry and anxiety at work, the lack of experience and trust, the difficulty of work, and the inconvenience of isolating life. CONCLUSIONS s While fully affirming the work value of nurses, it is necessary for the society, hospitals and patients to give extensive and continuous support, care and respect to nurses, so as to stimulate their working enthusiasm and sense of professional achievement. Hospital managers need to implement all kinds of security work, meet the safety needs of nurses, pay attention to the physical and mental health of nurses, strengthen the training of nursing talents for critical and severe diseases and infectious diseases, improve the allocation of human resources, and enhance the ability of material allocation and reserve for major health events, so as to make adequate preparations for coping with public health events in the future.
Betacoronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections ; Hospitals ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Nurses ; statistics & numerical data ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; Qualitative Research ; Workplace ; statistics & numerical data

The pandemic H1N1/09 emerged rapidly in Korea. Here, we describe the clinical characteristics of outpatients in Seoul, Korea who were infected in the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. We reviewed the cases of outpatients with pandemic H1N1/09 who visited a tertiary care teaching hospital between September 1 and December 31, 2009. Infection with pandemic H1N1/09 was confirmed by molecular tests. Of a total of 7,182 tests, 3,020 (42.0%) were positive. Compared with 473 cases of influenza-like illness (ILI), the 586 confirmed cases of pandemic H1N1/09 differed in age [odds ratio (OR) 0.975] and fulfilling at least one of the following factors: age <5 or > or =65 years, history of contact with other pandemic H1N1/09-infected individuals (OR 0.611), fever > or =37.8degrees C (OR 3.567), cough (OR 2.290), and myalgia (OR 1.559). The sensitivity of the best criteria, "fever (> or =37.8degrees C) plus cough" (41.03%) in this study was lower than that of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) criteria (47.95%), whereas the positive likelihood ratio (3.55) and positive predictive value (81.6) of this criteria was higher than those of the KCDC criteria (2.98 and 78.7, respectively). The clinical characteristics of pandemic H1N1/09 are, in many regards, indistinguishable from those of ILI. Moreover, the accuracy and predictability of criteria which include only symptoms or signs were not sufficient to diagnose pandemic H1N1/09 infection. Therefore, use of a combination of symptoms with confirmatory laboratory testing is necessary for accurate diagnosis of pandemic H1N1/09.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Hospitals, University/statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; *Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human/*diagnosis/*epidemiology/physiopathology ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Outpatients/*statistics & numerical data ; Pandemics/*statistics & numerical data ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: A new strain of the H1N1 subtype of influenza A virus resulted in a pandemic outbreak. In South Korea, cases of pandemic influenza have increased. Therefore, we explored perception or preventive behaviors for this virus in hospital employees and outpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was collected from hospital employees and outpatients at three university hospitals located in Daegu, Gyeongju in South Korea between the 21st and 30th of September, 2009 using a self-administrated questionnaire. We estimated perception by components of The Health Belief Model (HBM), preventive behaviors consisted of avoidance behaviors, and the recommended behaviors by the Korea Center of Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Desire for vaccination was identified. RESULTS: The 1,837 participants comprised hospital employees (n = 880, 47.9%) and outpatients (n = 957, 52.1%). Of all hospital employees, 491 (55.8%) and 708 (80.5%) perceived susceptibility of the pandemic influenza and benefits of the preventive behaviors, respectively. Among all outpatients, 490 (51.2%) and 651 (68.0%) perceived susceptibility of the pandemic influenza and benefits of the preventive behaviors, respectively. Recommended preventative behaviors were adopted by 674 (76.6%) of hospital employees and 631 (65.9%) of outpatients. Vaccination was desired by 479 (54.4%) of hospital employees and 484 (50.6%) of outpatients. Factors influencing preventative behaviors included gender, economic status (for hospital employees) and educational level (for outpatients). All HBM components except perception of barriers were associated with the preventive behaviors in both groups. CONCLUSION: The majority of the surveyed hospital employees and outpatients perceived the benefits of preventive behaviors for pandemic influenza and performed them.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hospitals/statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; *Influenza, Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients/*psychology/*statistics & numerical data ; *Pandemics ; Personnel, Hospital/*psychology/*statistics & numerical data ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: A new strain of the H1N1 subtype of influenza A virus resulted in a pandemic outbreak. In South Korea, cases of pandemic influenza have increased. Therefore, we explored perception or preventive behaviors for this virus in hospital employees and outpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was collected from hospital employees and outpatients at three university hospitals located in Daegu, Gyeongju in South Korea between the 21st and 30th of September, 2009 using a self-administrated questionnaire. We estimated perception by components of The Health Belief Model (HBM), preventive behaviors consisted of avoidance behaviors, and the recommended behaviors by the Korea Center of Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Desire for vaccination was identified. RESULTS: The 1,837 participants comprised hospital employees (n = 880, 47.9%) and outpatients (n = 957, 52.1%). Of all hospital employees, 491 (55.8%) and 708 (80.5%) perceived susceptibility of the pandemic influenza and benefits of the preventive behaviors, respectively. Among all outpatients, 490 (51.2%) and 651 (68.0%) perceived susceptibility of the pandemic influenza and benefits of the preventive behaviors, respectively. Recommended preventative behaviors were adopted by 674 (76.6%) of hospital employees and 631 (65.9%) of outpatients. Vaccination was desired by 479 (54.4%) of hospital employees and 484 (50.6%) of outpatients. Factors influencing preventative behaviors included gender, economic status (for hospital employees) and educational level (for outpatients). All HBM components except perception of barriers were associated with the preventive behaviors in both groups. CONCLUSION: The majority of the surveyed hospital employees and outpatients perceived the benefits of preventive behaviors for pandemic influenza and performed them.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hospitals/statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; *Influenza, Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients/*psychology/*statistics & numerical data ; *Pandemics ; Personnel, Hospital/*psychology/*statistics & numerical data ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

Since the first imported case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection was reported on May 20, 2015 in Korea, there have been 186 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection with 36 fatalities. Ninety-seven percent (181/186) of the cases had exposure to the health care facilities. We are reporting a superspreading event that transmitted MERS-CoV to 81 persons at a hospital emergency room (ER) during the Korean outbreak in 2015. The index case was a 35-yr-old man who had vigorous coughing while staying at the ER for 58 hr. As in severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreaks, superspreading events can cause a large outbreak of MERS in healthcare facilities with severe consequences. All healthcare facilities should establish and implement infection prevention and control measure as well as triage policies and procedures for early detection and isolation of suspected MERS-CoV cases.
Adult ; Coronavirus Infections/*epidemiology/*virology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus/*isolation & purification ; Pandemics/*statistics & numerical data ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To analysis the medication characteristics of the prescriptions issued via open channel by the National and Provincial Health Committee and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: We collected the data of traditional Chinese medicine related to treatment plans published by the National and Provincial Health Committee and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine from the start of COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan to February 19, 2020. The frequency analysis, cluster analysis and correlation analysis were performed. RESULTS: The study collected 4 national and 34 regional prevention and treatment plans, 578 items, 84 traditional Chinese formulations, 60 Chinese patent medicines, and 230 Chinese herbs. The high frequently used herbs were , , , and . The commonly used traditional formulations included Decoction, Powder, and Decoction. The Chinese patent drugs included Pill, Injection, and Capsule. The most common paired medications were and , and . Two core combinations and one novel formula were discovered in the study. CONCLUSIONS Powder and Decoction are the basic formulations for syndrome of COVID-19. In addition, Decoction, Powder, Decoction and Decoction are the basic formulations for syndrome of COVID-19. The main medication characteristics are clearing heat, entilating lung, removing toxicity and removing turbidity. It shows that removing toxicity and eliminating evil are the prescription thought in treating epidemic disease of traditional Chinese medicine.
Betacoronavirus ; Cluster Analysis ; Coronavirus Infections ; therapy ; Data Mining ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; statistics & numerical data ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; therapy

Betacoronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; transmission ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; statistics & numerical data ; Global Health ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; epidemiology ; transmission ; Prognosis

Objective: Previous studies have shown that meteorological factors may increase COVID-19 mortality, likely due to the increased transmission of the virus. However, this could also be related to an increased infection fatality rate (IFR). We investigated the association between meteorological factors (temperature, humidity, solar irradiance, pressure, wind, precipitation, cloud coverage) and IFR across Spanish provinces ( Methods: We estimated IFR as excess deaths (the gap between observed and expected deaths, considering COVID-19-unrelated deaths prevented by lockdown measures) divided by the number of infections (SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals plus excess deaths) and conducted Spearman correlations between meteorological factors and IFR across the provinces. Results: We estimated 2,418,250 infections and 43,237 deaths. The IFR was 0.03% in < 50-year-old, 0.22% in 50-59-year-old, 0.9% in 60-69-year-old, 3.3% in 70-79-year-old, 12.6% in 80-89-year-old, and 26.5% in ≥ 90-year-old. We did not find statistically significant relationships between meteorological factors and adjusted IFR. However, we found strong relationships between low temperature and unadjusted IFR, likely due to Spain's colder provinces' aging population. Conclusion The association between meteorological factors and adjusted COVID-19 IFR is unclear. Neglecting age differences or ignoring COVID-19-unrelated deaths may severely bias COVID-19 epidemiological analyses.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; COVID-19/virology* ; Humans ; Meteorological Concepts ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics/statistics & numerical data* ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Spain/epidemiology* ; Weather ; Young Adult