Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed significant global public health challenges and created a substantial economic burden. Korea has experienced an extensive outbreak, which was linked to a religion-related super-spreading event. However, the implementation of various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), including social distancing, spring semester postponing, and extensive testing and contact tracing controlled the epidemic. Herein, we estimated the effectiveness of each NPI using a simulation model. Methods: A compartment model with a susceptible-exposed-infectious-quarantinedhospitalized structure was employed. Using the Monte-Carlo-Markov-Chain algorithm with Gibbs' sampling method, we estimated the time-varying effective contact rate to calibrate the model with the reported daily new confirmed cases from February 12th to March 31st (7 weeks). Moreover, we conducted scenario analyses by adjusting the parameters to estimate the effectiveness of NPI. Results: Relaxed social distancing among adults would have increased the number of cases 27.4-fold until the end of March. Spring semester non-postponement would have increased the number of cases 1.7-fold among individuals aged 0-19, while lower quarantine and detection rates would have increased the number of cases 1.4-fold. Conclusion: Among the three NPI measures, social distancing in adults showed the highest effectiveness. The substantial effect of social distancing should be considered when preparing for the 2nd wave of COVID-19.

We assessed the risk of fatal occupational injuries among migrant workers with two different types of employment permits in South Korea. This observational study used national data from January 2007 to September 2018 and analyzed 42,089 cases of occupationally injured migrant workers of Chinese nationality. Fatality rates were analyzed according to year, sex, age, occupation, industry, and type of employment permit. Chinese workers were permitted to work for one employer and prohibited from changing employers, whereas Korean-Chinese workers were permitted to change their employer. The adjusted fatality rate of occupational injuries of Chinese migrant workers was significantly higher (1.80-fold, 95% confidence interval 1.31–2.46) than that of Korean-Chinese migrant workers. The prohibition on changing workplaces; male sex; age ≥ 45 years; machine operator; construction industry; and agriculture, livestock, and fisheries industry were risk factors for fatal occupational injuries. The results imply a need for revision of the migrant-worker employment permit systems and implementation of occupational safety and health policies for all workers to promote health equity.

Background: Scrub typhus is an important public health issue in Korea. Risk factors for scrub typhus include both individual-level factors and environmental drivers, and some are related to the increased density of vector mites and rodents, the natural hosts of the mites. In this regard, deforestation is a potential risk factor, because the deforestation-induced secondary growth of scrub vegetation may increase the densities of mites and rodents. To examine this hypothesis, this study investigated the association between scrub typhus and deforestation. Methods: We acquired district-level data for 2006–2017, including the number of cases of scrub typhus reported annually, deforestation level, and other covariates. Deforestation was assessed using preprocessed remote-sensing satellite data. Bayesian regression models, including Poisson, negative binomial, zero-inflated Poisson, and zero-inflated negative binomial models, were examined, and spatial autocorrelation was considered in hierarchical models. A sensitivity analysis was conducted using different accumulation periods for the deforestation level to examine the robustness of the association. Results: The final models showed a significant association between deforestation and the incidence of scrub typhus (relative risk = 1.20, 95% credible interval = 1.15–1.24). The sensitivity analysis gave consistent results, and a potential long-term effect of deforestation for up to 5 years was shown. Conclusion: The results support the potential public health benefits of forest conservation by suppressing the risk of scrub typhus, implying the need for strong engagement of public health sectors in conservation issues from a One Health perspective.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health issue that has long threatened and continues to threaten human health. While previous studies are important in the search for a cure for TB, to eradicate the disease it is also crucial to analyze environmental influences. Therefore, this study determined the potential effect of inadequate housing on TB and the magnitude of the effect. Methods This is a systematic review of the effects of inadequate housing on TB. Between Jan 1, 2011 and Oct 25, 2020, we searched four electronic databases using the search terms “housing AND tuberculosis” or “housing AND TB”. The target population comprised residents of inadequate housing and the homeless. Results We found 26 eligible studies. The distribution of the studies across continents was uneven, and the housing issues of interest seemed to vary depending on the economic level of the country. The eight steps identified in TB development and the consequences thereof were more strongly associated with housing affordability than with housing quality. Conclusions This is the first systematic review to identify the effects of inadequate housing on TB and to categorize inadequate-housing-related exposure to TB in terms of affordability and quality. The steps identified in TB development and the consequences thereof had a greater association with housing affordability than with housing quality. Therefore, public health interventions regarding housing affordability could be more diverse, and interventions that support affordable housing for residents of inadequate housing and the homeless should proceed simultaneously to improve housing quality.

Background Lassa fever (LF) is one of the most devastating rodent-borne diseases in West Africa, causing thousands of deaths annually. The geographical expansion of LF is also a concern; cases were recently identified in Ghana and Benin. Previous ecological studies have suggested that high natural-host biodiversity reduces the likelihood of spillover transmission of rodent-borne diseases, by suppressing the activities of reservoir species. However, the association of biodiversity with the geographical expansion of LF has not been the subject of epidemiological studies. Methodology/Principal findings We conducted a spatial analysis based on sociodemographic, geographical, and ecological data, and found that higher rodent species richness was significantly associated with a lower risk of LF emergence in West Africa from 2008 to 2017 (Odds Ratio = 0.852, 95% Credible Interval = 0.745–0.971). Conclusions/Significance The results reinforce the importance of the ‘One Health’ approach by demonstrating that a high level of biodiversity could benefit human health.