Kyungmin Huh

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been widely implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. We assessed the effect of NPIs on hospitalisations for pneumonia, influenza, COPD and asthma. This retrospective, ecological study compared the weekly incidence of hospitalisation for four respiratory conditions before (January 2016-January 2020) and during (February-July 2020) the implementation of NPI against COVID-19. Hospitalisations for all four respiratory conditions decreased substanti

The implementation of NPIs was associated with a significant reduction in the incidences of several respiratory infections in Korea.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Aging population, dense urbanization, and poor access to health care make the Asia-Pacific region vulnerable to CAP. The high incidence of CAP poses a significant health and economic burden in this region. Common etiologic agents in other global regions including <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>, <i>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</i>, <i>Haemophilus influenzae</i>, <i>Chlamydophila pneumoniae</i>, <i>Staphylococ

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has become an important threat to public health in the Asia-Pacific region, which is characterized by a large population and relatively insufficient resources. Better understanding on the current status of CA-MRSA in the region is of paramount importance. Areas covered: This article reviews the published literatures on the prevalence, molecular epidemiology, colonization, and hospital spread of CA-MRSA. Expert commentary:

As there is no effective treatment against hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), the development of effective vaccine is important. An inactivated hantavirus vaccine (IHV) has been used in Korea, but there has been controversy regarding its effectiveness. We conducted a case-control study to evaluate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of IHV against HFRS in the Korean military. Unadjusted and adjusted VEs of IHV were 59.1% and 58.9%, respectively. VE was higher in divisions with high inciden

Abstract Background Reports of serious neuropsychiatric events (NPEs), specifically suicide/suicide attempts, following the use of oseltamivir have led to public concerns. Our aim in this study was to determine whether an association exists between oseltamivir use and NPEs. Method This study was a population-based, retrospective, cohort study on a random sample of 50% of individuals in the Korean National Health Insurance Service (KNIS) database aged ≥8 years who were diagnosed with influenza be

Adequate facepiece fit of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) is crucial for optimal protection against airborne pathogens. The quantitative fit test (QNFT) pass rates of the 4 N95 FFR models commonly used in Korea were below 50%. Male sex was identified as a single independent predictive factor for QNFT pass. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:104-107.

Interferon (IFN) has been highlighted in several randomized controlled trials as an attractive therapeutic candidate based plausible mode of action, suppressed response in severe COVID-19, and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of IFN in patients with COVID-19 according to clinical severity. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of IFN (systemic or inhaled IFN-α, -β, and -λ) treatment in adult patients with COVID-19 wer