A Review of COVID-19 Initial Response Systems and A Proposal to Adjust the Operation of Residential treatment centers

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a periodic shortage of quarantine beds, medical personnel, and medical equipment in South Korea. Asthe pandemic is expected to continue, a need existsto readjust the capacities of residentialtreatment centersfor asymptomatic ormild cases. Thisstudy aimed to identify howother countriestreat asymptomatic or have mild COVID-19 patients, and suggest a effective operation plan of residential treatment centers.Methods: A literature review was conducted to examine how policies on asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 cases have changed at different phases of the pandemic in different countries. A reviewwas also conducted on the epidemiological characteristics of Korean patients, including clinicalstatus and treatment period, and public opinion on residential treatment centers. A plan to improve how residential treatment centers operate during the pandemic was derived based on expert advice, and discussion within the research team.Results: Home care is being recommended for asymptomatic or mild cases of COVID-19 in many countries. In Korea, despite the increase in the number of newly confirmed cases, fatality rate of COVID-19 shows a decreasing and vaccination rate an increasing trend. Three-fourths of the public recognized that home care may be more appropriate for asymptomatic or mild cases. Assuch,we recommend a reduction in length ofstay in residential treatment centers, from 10 to 3 or 5 days, and ensuring patient’s participation in decision‒making of hospitalization.Conclusions: A need existsto prepare a systematic response system, including patient education, virtual treatment and transfersystem in orderto shorten patients’ admission period in residential treatment centers and expand home care. A functioning emergency response system should also be prepared concurrently.

Profile of drug users in the residential treatment centers of Tehran, Iran

Background: The current study aimed at determining the pattern of drug dependence and its related factors in mid-term residential treatment centers (MTRCs). Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted on all drug dependent people residing in MTRCs of Tehran, Iran, who were voluntarily seeking treatment from April to August, 2018. Required data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Drug dependence was categorized into four groups: soft opioids, hard opioids, methamphetamine, and combination of hard opioids and methamphetamine. The association of potential risk factors with drug dependence was measured using chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Out of 1868 participants in the current study, 97% were male. Mean age (SD) of the participants was 38.1 (9.9). The different types of drug dependence were hard opioids (43.0%), soft opioids (29.5%), methamphetamine (15.4%), and a combination of hard opioids and methamphetamine (12.1%). The prevalence of injecting drug use was 2.7%. In comparison with the reference group (soft opioids), being un-married and unemployment, significantly increased the risk of using the three groups of drugs (odds ratios [ORs]: 1.5-3.34, P values: <0.001-0.033). Age ≥30 years at the initiation of drug use, and using current drug for more than 10 years, significantly increased the risk of using hard opioids and a combination of hard opioids and methamphetamine (ORs: 1.65-2.31, P values: <0.001-0.030). Age ≥50 years significantly decreased the risk of using the three groups of drugs (ORs: 0.21-0.43, P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Different pattern of drug dependence found in MTRCs, they were mostly hard opioid users, lower injecting drug use and higher mean of age.