A case series of flight attendants at risk of COVID-19 in South Korea in 2020.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected many individuals worldwide. Individuals in contact with unspecified people during their work, may be at risk of occupational exposure. On June 22, 2020, 1,435 overseas patients were identified in the Republic of Korea. Considering the influx of overseas patients, aircraft-mediated COVID-19 transmission is a major concern. CASE PRESENTATION: We presented two flight attendants diagnosed with COVID-19 who shared the crew's resting area and ground transportation, and discussed the risks experienced by flight attendants. CONCLUSIONS: Biosafety guidelines for cabin crews should be intensified, and their COVID-19 risks must be further investigated. Policymakers must consider comprehensive surveillance systems for workers with high risks of occupational exposures and transmissions, such as flight attendants.

Factors associated with anti-hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin G seropositivity among Korean workers: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis A incidence in Korea has dramatically increased in recent years. Individuals in their twenties and thirties, who account for majority of the workforce in Korea, are particularly susceptible to infection owing to a low seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) immunoglobulin G (IgG). This study aimed to identify behavioural and occupational factors related to anti-HAV IgG seropositivity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A large university hospital in Seoul, Korea. PARTICIPANTS: Workers in formal employment having an annual routine health screening. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Anti-HAV IgG seropositivity. RESULTS: Of 131 711 individuals who had an annual health screening at the study hospital in 2018, 68 612 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Study participants were predominantly men (64.3%) and in their thirties (55.3%). The overall seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG was 36.2%. In multivariate analyses, anti-HAV IgG seropositivity was independently associated with working in a workplace with ≥2 health managers (vs no health manager, adjusted OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.43); age 40-49 years (vs 20-29 years, OR 2.51, 95% CI 2.36 to 2.68); female sex (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.48 to 1.59); experience of any general disease (vs no general disease history, OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.25), obesity (vs normal weight, OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.97); and hepatitis B antibody seropositivity (OR 2.39, 95% CI 2.31 to 2.49). CONCLUSIONS: The low prevalence of anti-HAV IgG seropositivity points to a need for implementation of workplace-based hepatitis A vaccine programmes. To promote workers' health and prevent hepatitis A outbreaks, occupational health managers, healthcare providers and policy-makers should focus on individuals who are susceptible to HAV, such as young men.

A Comparative Study of the Epidemiological Aspects of Legionnaires' Disease: Outbreaks in Korea and Japan, 2010 - 2014.

BACKGROUND: In the present study, we compared the epidemiological aspects of Legionnaire' disease (LD) outbreaks in Korea and Japan by analyzing the current state from 2010 to 2014. METHODS: The following factors were analyzed: nationwide cumulative incidence rate (CIR) per 100,000 populations and case-fatality rate in percentage, epidemiological aspects (i.e., case related to gender), male to female morbidity ratio (MFMR), age, seasonality and habitat distribution of LD cases. RESULTS: In total, there were 134 cases of LD with the CIR of 0.05 per 100,000 populations in Korea from 2010 to 2014. During the same period in Japan, there were 4,840 cases of LD with a CIR of 0.76 per 100,000 populations. The CIR in Japan was significantly higher than that in Korea. However, the case-fatality rates were at similar levels (3.0% vs. 5.9%). Moreover, LD affects both sexes differently, accounting for 2.05 and 4.41 of MFMR in Korea and Japan, respectively. In both countries, the incidence mainly occurred among people aged 40 years or older, and peaked in summer (37.3% vs. 33.7% of total cases). Significant differences were observed in the incidence of LD cases between the capital city and county areas in both two countries. These differences in LD risk factors reflect the different influences of reservoir/host with natural or artificial aquatic environments. CONCLUSION: This study provides a quantitative analysis of the epidemiological aspects and risk factors of LD outbreaks in Korea and Japan. We hope this study would be helpful for providing insight on effective future strategies to reduce LD outbreaks.