Publications by authors named "Eun Jung Jang"
Background: Wound healing is a complex process influenced by a variety of environmental factors. Dressing materials play a critical role in creating barriers against contaminants, maintaining optimal moisture levels, and absorbing wound exudate. Therefore, selecting materials tailored to wound characteristics is crucial for enhancing outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * The observational study included over 54,000 participants, with COVID-19 infection rates being slightly lower for NVX-CoV2373 at 30 days post-vaccination compared to BNT162b2 (7.9% vs. 8.6%).
- * At 60 and 90 days, infection rates increased for both vaccines, and the risk ratio suggested NVX-CoV2373 offered similar protection compared to BNT162b2, highlighting the need for ongoing
Article Synopsis
- This study analyzed over 2 million people in South Korea to compare the effectiveness of COVID-19 bivalent vaccines versus monovalent vaccines in preventing severe infections and deaths.
- Bivalent vaccine recipients showed much lower rates of infection, critical illness, and death compared to those who received monovalent vaccines, with effectiveness rates up to 85.3% against death shortly after vaccination.
- The findings suggest that bivalent vaccines offer significant additional protection during the omicron variant phase of the pandemic, demonstrating sustained effectiveness over time.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined deaths from COVID-19 reinfection in South Korea, focusing on risk factors during a period dominated by the omicron BA.1/BA.2 variant.
- Residents of long-term care facilities were found to have a significantly higher risk of reinfection compared to the general population, especially those unvaccinated.
- Additionally, the risk of death from reinfection was notably higher in older adults (ages 60-74) and immunocompromised individuals, suggesting the importance of vaccination to reduce reinfection and severe outcomes.*
Article Synopsis
- This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of bivalent versus monovalent COVID-19 vaccines during the 2022-2023 winter using real-world data from South Korea.
- The research included 29,245 adults and found that bivalent vaccine recipients had a 12.2% higher protection against COVID-19 compared to those receiving the monovalent vaccine, especially noted at 39.4% for individuals in long-term care facilities.
- The study concludes that bivalent vaccines offer superior protection, suggesting they should be prioritized in immunization programs to combat seasonal COVID-19 outbreaks.
Article Synopsis
- The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency analyzed the impact of its nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign from February 2021 to October 2022.
- The study estimated that the vaccination prevented 95,786 severe cases and 112,195 deaths, demonstrating its significance in controlling the pandemic's severity.
- If the vaccination campaign hadn't occurred, the expected cases and deaths would have been at least four times higher, highlighting its effectiveness in reducing COVID-19 severity in the Republic of Korea.
Age-specific Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection During Omicron Outbreaks, South Korea.
Pediatr Infect Dis J
August 2023
Article Synopsis
- A study in South Korea analyzed the risk of reinfection for COVID-19 among residents from January to August 2022.
- Children aged 5-11 years and 12-17 years were found to have a higher risk of reinfection, with adjusted hazard ratios of 2.20 and 2.00, respectively.
- Receiving a 3-dose COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduced the risk of reinfection, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.20.
Article Synopsis
- A cohort study was conducted in Korea to evaluate the effectiveness of different vaccine combinations against severe COVID-19 outcomes in the elderly.
- The study took place from January to August 2022.
- Findings revealed that recipients of 4 doses of mRNA vaccines had a high vaccine effectiveness (VE) of 96.1% against death, while those with a combination of 1 dose of viral vector and 3 doses of mRNA had a VE of 90.8%.
Article Synopsis
- A study evaluated the effectiveness of a fourth mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose in people aged 60 and older in Korea during the Omicron BA.2 and BA.5 variants.
- The effectiveness against severe infections was found to be 67.7% within the first 31-60 days after the booster.
- By 61-90 days, the effectiveness slightly decreased to 62.1%, indicating ongoing protection but reduced efficacy over time.
Article Synopsis
- Data from Korea during the COVID-19 delta and omicron waves shows that individuals who received three vaccine doses have a significantly lower risk of severe infection (aOR, 0.05-0.08).
- The study found that the risk of death from COVID-19 decreased in the omicron period compared to the earlier delta period (aOR, 0.75).
- These findings suggest that vaccination, particularly with three doses, is effective in reducing both severe illness and mortality from COVID-19.
Article Synopsis
- A national observational study in Korea assessed the effectiveness of rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 schools during the Omicron variant surge in March 2022.
- The weekly positive predictive value of these tests ranged from 86.4% to 93.2%.
- The highest positive predictive value was found in symptomatic elementary school students (95.7%), while the lowest was in asymptomatic teachers and staff (70.9%).
Presumed population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in South Korea, April 2022.
Osong Public Health Res Perspect
October 2022
Article Synopsis
- * Analysis of the national COVID-19 registry revealed that 24.4% had both vaccination and infection, while nearly 10% of the population had no immunity; children were particularly affected with almost half lacking immunity.
- * The findings highlight a significant gap in immunity levels, especially in children, suggesting the need for strategic vaccine policies to enhance national health measures.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers assessed the impact of a second mRNA COVID-19 booster on infection risks in immunocompromised individuals and long-term care facility residents in South Korea from February to May 2022.
- Out of nearly 1 million eligible participants, 75.7% received a first booster while only 24.3% got a second booster dose.
- Results showed that the second booster significantly improved protection against all infections (22.28% effectiveness), critical infections (56.95%), and deaths (62.96%) when compared to just having the first booster.
Article Synopsis
- This study examines how effective the BNT162b2 vaccine is in preventing COVID-19 infections among adolescents in South Korea.
- It specifically looks at both general infections and severe cases that require critical care.
- The findings aim to provide insights into vaccine impact for this age group during the pandemic.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted using data from South Korea to analyze SARS-CoV-2 reinfection rates from January 2020 to April 2022, involving over 16 million confirmed cases.
- The analysis showed a total of 55,841 possible reinfections, with reinfection rates increasing significantly during the Delta (128.0 per 100,000) and Omicron (355.1 per 100,000) variants compared to the Pre-Delta period (6.0 per 100,000).
- Individuals with one vaccine dose had the highest reinfection rate, suggesting that new variants played a major role in the increase of reinfections.
Article Synopsis
- The study focused on how booster vaccinations influence the spread of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in households in South Korea during February 2022.
- Results showed that vaccinated individuals had a lower rate of virus transmission compared to those who were unvaccinated.
- Additionally, receiving a booster shot significantly reduced the likelihood of infection among those in close contact with an infected person.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates the effectiveness of four COVID-19 vaccines in South Korea, focusing on their ability to prevent infections and severe outcomes.
- It uses a large database linking national health data to assess infection rates and vaccine effectiveness, showing that fully vaccinated individuals had a significantly lower infection rate compared to unvaccinated ones.
- Results indicate high effectiveness against severe disease (93%) and death (95%), with a substantial number of infections and deaths averted due to the vaccination campaign, although the study notes a lower-than-expected protection against infections.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted involving 107 close contacts of individuals infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 to find the best quarantine duration.
- The average time taken from exposure to a confirmed diagnosis was found to be 3.7 days.
- Most diagnoses (70%) occurred by day 5 and nearly all (99.1%) by day 10, indicating that a 10-day quarantine period is optimal.
Article Synopsis
- A nationwide study in South Korea investigated the rates of breakthrough COVID-19 infections among people vaccinated with four different vaccines.
- The study found that the Janssen vaccine had the highest breakthrough infection rate at 42.6 cases per 100,000 population per month.
- In comparison, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna had lower rates of 21.7, 8.5, and 1.8 cases per 100,000 population, respectively.
Article Synopsis
- - The November 2021 outbreak of the Omicron variant in South Korea started from one imported case and quickly spread to various settings like homes, kindergartens, and workplaces.
- - Within just three weeks, the outbreak led to 11 clusters of COVID-19 cases, highlighting the variant's ability to spread easily.
- - An epidemiologic curve showed that the Omicron variant was rapidly transmitting through the community, indicating a significant public health concern.
Article Synopsis
- - In November 2021, South Korea identified 14 cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19, linked to international travel.
- - Investigations showed that the omicron variant was spreading within the community, as most newly reported cases had no travel history.
- - By December 10, 2021, a total of 80 omicron cases were confirmed, suggesting the actual number of transmissions in Korea could be higher than reported.
Article Synopsis
- PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors are essential for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but response rates vary significantly among patients, necessitating reliable biomarkers for better personalization of treatment.
- A study involving 63 patients at the National Cancer Center and 99 at Samsung Medical Center identified plasma C7 levels as a potential biomarker for predicting responses to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, particularly pembrolizumab, with C7 levels showing higher predictive accuracy than existing diagnostics.
- Results indicate that plasma C7 levels can effectively differentiate between NSCLC patients who benefit from pembrolizumab and those who do not, suggesting it could serve as a valuable tool in tailoring immunotherapy strategies.