Background: The World Health Organization has declared the end of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. However, this did not indicate the end of COVID-19. Several months after the infection, numerous patients complain of respiratory or nonspecific symptoms; this condition is called long COVID. Even patients with mild COVID-19 can experience long COVID, thus the burden of long COVID remains considerable. Therefore, we conducted this study to comprehensively analyze the effects of long COVID using multi-faceted assessments. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 2021 in six tertiary hospitals in Korea. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after discharge. Long COVID was defined as the persistence of three or more COVID-19-related symptoms. The primary outcome of this study was the prevalence of long COVID after the period of COVID-19. Results: During the study period, 290 patients were enrolled. Among them, 54.5 and 34.6% experienced long COVID within 6 months and after more than 18 months, respectively. Several patients showed abnormal results when tested for post-traumatic stress disorder (17.4%) and anxiety (31.9%) after 18 months. In patients who underwent follow-up chest computed tomography 18 months after COVID-19, abnormal findings remained at 51.9%. Males (odds ratio [OR], 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05–0.53; P=0.004) and elderly (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00–1.09; P=0.04) showed a significant association with long COVID after 12–18 months in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Many patients still showed long COVID after 18 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection. When managing these patients, the assessment of multiple aspects is necessary.

Background: The World Health Organization has declared the end of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. However, this did not indicate the end of COVID-19. Several months after the infection, numerous patients complain of respiratory or nonspecific symptoms; this condition is called long COVID. Even patients with mild COVID-19 can experience long COVID, thus the burden of long COVID remains considerable. Therefore, we conducted this study to comprehensively analyze the effects of long COVID using multi-faceted assessments. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 2021 in six tertiary hospitals in Korea. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after discharge. Long COVID was defined as the persistence of three or more COVID-19-related symptoms. The primary outcome of this study was the prevalence of long COVID after the period of COVID-19. Results: During the study period, 290 patients were enrolled. Among them, 54.5 and 34.6% experienced long COVID within 6 months and after more than 18 months, respectively. Several patients showed abnormal results when tested for post-traumatic stress disorder (17.4%) and anxiety (31.9%) after 18 months. In patients who underwent follow-up chest computed tomography 18 months after COVID-19, abnormal findings remained at 51.9%. Males (odds ratio [OR], 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05–0.53; P=0.004) and elderly (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00–1.09; P=0.04) showed a significant association with long COVID after 12–18 months in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Many patients still showed long COVID after 18 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection. When managing these patients, the assessment of multiple aspects is necessary.

Background: The World Health Organization has declared the end of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. However, this did not indicate the end of COVID-19. Several months after the infection, numerous patients complain of respiratory or nonspecific symptoms; this condition is called long COVID. Even patients with mild COVID-19 can experience long COVID, thus the burden of long COVID remains considerable. Therefore, we conducted this study to comprehensively analyze the effects of long COVID using multi-faceted assessments. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 2021 in six tertiary hospitals in Korea. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after discharge. Long COVID was defined as the persistence of three or more COVID-19-related symptoms. The primary outcome of this study was the prevalence of long COVID after the period of COVID-19. Results: During the study period, 290 patients were enrolled. Among them, 54.5 and 34.6% experienced long COVID within 6 months and after more than 18 months, respectively. Several patients showed abnormal results when tested for post-traumatic stress disorder (17.4%) and anxiety (31.9%) after 18 months. In patients who underwent follow-up chest computed tomography 18 months after COVID-19, abnormal findings remained at 51.9%. Males (odds ratio [OR], 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05–0.53; P=0.004) and elderly (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00–1.09; P=0.04) showed a significant association with long COVID after 12–18 months in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Many patients still showed long COVID after 18 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection. When managing these patients, the assessment of multiple aspects is necessary.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of Fontan surgery in the Republic of Korea, as there were only a few studies from Asian countries. Methods: The medical records of 1,732 patients who underwent Fontan surgery in 10 cardiac centers were reviewed. Results: Among them, 1,040 (58.8%) were men. The mean age at Fontan surgery was 4.3±4.2 years, and 395 (22.8%) patients presented with heterotaxy syndrome. According to the types of Fontan surgery, 157 patients underwent atriopulmonary (AP) type; 303, lateral tunnel (LT) type; and 1,266, extracardiac conduit (ECC) type. The overall survival rates were 91.7%, 87.1%, and 74.4% at 10, 20, and 30 years, respectively. The risk factors of early mortality were male, heterotaxy syndrome, AP-type Fontan surgery, high mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) in pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization, and early Fontan surgery year. The risk factors of late mortality were heterotaxy syndrome, genetic disorder, significant atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR) before Fontan surgery, high mPAP in pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization, and no fenestration. Conclusions In Asian population with a high incidence of heterotaxy syndrome, the heterotaxy syndrome was identified as the poor prognostic factors for Fontan surgery. The preoperative low mPAP and less AVVR are associated with better early and long-term outcomes of Fontan surgery.

Objectives: This study examined the changes in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups in South Korea before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior (K-COMPASS) cohort. Methods: The K-COMPASS is a longitudinal cohort study that started in 2015. The participants included suicide attempters and individuals with suicidal ideation from various hospitals and mental health centers in South Korea. This study compared the sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics of 800 participants from the first cohort (2015–2019) with 511 participants from the second and third cohorts (2019–2024). Data were collected through structured interviews and validated scales. Results: The second and third cohort participants were younger, had a higher proportion of females, and exhibited more severe psychiatric symptoms and higher suicidal risk than the first cohort. The prevalence of physical illnesses decreased, while the use of psychiatric medications and the severity of mental health issues increased. In addition, significant sociodemographic changes were observed, such as higher educational levels and urban residency. Conclusion Significant shifts in the characteristics of high-risk suicide groups were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for targeted mental health interventions focusing on younger individuals and females to prevent suicide in high-risk groups.

The global burden of mental illness has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, despite this rising burden, the utilization of mental health services remains critically low compared to other countries. This study evaluated successful integrated treatment centers from various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, to identify the best practices that can be applied to South Korean society. These international examples informed the development of Mind the SHIM (SNUH Health in Mind) center, an integrated treatment model designed to address the gaps in non-pharmacological mental health services in South Korea. Mind the SHIM center focuses on developing and validating programs tailored to local needs, emphasizing professional education, systematic program delivery, and community collaboration. The biopsychosocial approach of the center is expected to enhance the overall quality of life of the patients and increase the utilization of mental health services, reducing the broader economic and social burden of mental illness in South Korea.