Jungnang-gu Completes Nationwide First Joint Investigation on Omicron Variant Aftereffects... Results?

[Seoul Autonomous District News] Jungnang-gu Collaborates with 5 Other Cities and Provinces to Jointly Investigate Aftereffects in Omicron Variant Recoverees & Increase in Common Cold Symptoms Like Sore Throat, Cough, and Phlegm Compared to Delta Variant & Decrease in Mental Aftereffects Such as Depression and Anxiety ... Jungnang-gu Appoints Ambassadors Including Gugak Musician Joella, Singer Lee Hyun-joo, Saekdonghoe Chairperson Kim Soon-nyeo, and Professor Na Do-seong

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) announced on the 14th that it has conducted the nation's first community-level joint survey on the aftereffects experienced by Omicron variant COVID-19 recoverees.

The district explained that the survey was conducted to help COVID-19 recoverees return to and adapt to a healthy daily life. This survey is a continuation of the previous full survey conducted last year on discharged patients before the Delta variant. This is the first nationwide community-level second joint survey on COVID-19 recoverees' aftereffects.

To ensure the reliability of the results, the survey was conducted jointly with Uijeongbu City, Osan City, Hwacheon County, Gyeryong City, and Tongyeong City. The survey targeted 414 randomly selected COVID-19 recoverees who were confirmed positive after January 2022, when the Omicron variant became dominant, and had passed two months since recovery. The survey was conducted using a self-developed questionnaire.

The survey results will be used as basic data for responding to COVID-19 infections by investigating and comparing the patterns of aftereffects before the Delta variant and after the Omicron variant over time.

According to the survey, 95.4% of the subjects showed symptoms at the time of initial diagnosis, indicating that most experienced physical symptoms upon COVID-19 confirmation, and 26.3% still had one or more aftereffects at the time of the survey.

Physical symptoms experienced after confirmation, such as sore throat (18.3% → 76.1%) and cough/phlegm (24.8% → 61.7%), appeared more frequently with the Omicron variant than before the Delta variant, while loss of smell (16% → 6.8%) and loss of taste (14.5% → 7.7%) decreased.

Before the Delta variant, aftereffects such as hair loss were clearly evident, but in this survey, they were rarely observed, with common cold symptoms being more prevalent. Fatigue (12.1%), cough/phlegm (6.3%), and decline in concentration/memory (3.6%) were the most common, while mental and psychological difficulties were 5.1%, showing a significant decrease compared to 16.2% in the first survey. Issues with human relationships or feelings of isolation (1.2%) and the need for psychological counseling (1.7%) also decreased compared to before.

Based on these survey results, the district will provide customized aftereffect management for residents. Since the first survey last year, the district has been strengthening and operating COVID-19 aftereffect management projects linked with local health and medical resources, aiming to build a more robust daily medical system and welfare support system.

Currently, support is provided through phone or in-person consultations, referrals to medical institutions, and linkage to the public health center's ‘Todak Todak Mind Counseling’ program.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “Jungnang-gu took the lead in conducting this joint survey to manage COVID-19 aftereffects more systematically and accurately,” adding, “We will make good use of the survey results to continuously operate aftereffect management programs and strive to help residents recover their daily lives and improve their health.”

From the left, traditional musician Jo Ella, singer Lee Hyun-joo, Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, Kim Soon-nyeo, Chairperson of Saekdonghoe, and Professor Na Do-seong

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) held a commissioning ceremony on the afternoon of the 13th at Jungnang-gu Office to appoint five public relations ambassadors to enhance the local brand value and effectively promote district administration.

On this day, the district appointed singer Lee Hyun-joo and announcer Eom Ji-min as new public relations ambassadors alongside existing ambassadors: traditional Korean musician Jo Ella, Professor Na Do-seong, and Saekdonghoe Chairperson Kim Soon-nyeo.

All five ambassadors are experts and celebrities in various fields such as culture, economy, and education. They will participate in promoting overall district administration and creating promotional content, engage in promotional activities at various festivals and events, and actively contribute through professional lectures and talent-sharing volunteer activities for residents.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “I sincerely thank the five ambassadors who gladly accepted the role out of affection and interest for the region,” adding, “We look forward to your active contributions in raising residents' pride and self-esteem and widely promoting the district, and we will actively support you.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.