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- Missing Occupation, Missing Risk: Insights From COVID-19 Case Investigation Data in Busan, South Korea
- Jin-Hwan Kim, Daseul Moon, Changhoon Kim
- J Prev Med Public Health. 2026;59(2):204-210. Published online March 12, 2026
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.25.718
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Abstract
Summary
PDF - Objectives
This study evaluated the quality and analytic utility of occupational data in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case investigation records from Busan, South Korea, during the period of comprehensive surveillance in 2020–2021, when occupation was inconsistently integrated into routine case reporting despite its importance for infection-risk assessment.
Methods
We analyzed 25 283 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported between February 21, 2020, and December 31, 2021. Occupational information was extracted from investigation forms, epidemiological reports, and electronic medical records. We assessed completeness, internal inconsistencies, and codability to the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO), and examined temporal trends across pandemic phases. Descriptive statistics and manual reviews of free-text entries were conducted.
Results
Occupational information was recorded for nearly all investigated cases in 2020–2021 (>99%), but entries were often vague (“unemployed,” “other”) or institutional (“school,” “hospital”), which limited their utility. A minority of entries could be standardized to KSCO 1–3-digit categories because of ambiguous wording or contradictions between occupation and workplace. Although data collection virtually ceased in 2022 and 2023 after individual-level investigations were discontinued, patterns in the 2020–2021 dataset already showed that design flaws in the occupation field reduced analytic value.
Conclusions
Busan’s early COVID-19 surveillance system recorded occupation for nearly all cases but produced limited analyzable information. The disconnect between data entry and analytic usefulness highlights the need for structured, dual occupation–industry coding, searchable picklists, and real-time quality checks so that occupational risk can be systematically identified and incorporated into future pandemic preparedness and response. -
SummaryKorean summary
본 연구는 코로나바이러스감염증-19에 대한 전수감시가 이루어지던 2020-2021년 시기에 부산광역시 확진자 역학조사에 포함된 직업 정보의 질과 그 활용 가능성을 평가했다. 약 2년 동안 약 99% 이상의 확진자에서 직업 정보가 기입되어 있었으나 “무직”, “기타” 등의 모호한 기재나 “학교”, “병원”과 같은 기관 수준의 기재가 빈번해 활용 가능성은 제한적이었다. 자료 입력과 분석적 유용성 간의 괴리는 향후 감염병 대비 및 대응에서 직업적 위험을 체계적으로 파악하고 반영하기 위해, 구조화된 직업-산업 이중 입력 체계, 검색 기반 폐쇄형 입력 기능, 실시간 자료 질 점검 체계 도입이 필요함을 시사한다.Key Message
- Occupation is critical for infection-risk assessment, yet occupation was not systematically collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. - In Busan, although occupational information was recorded for most confirmed COVID-19 cases reported between February 2020 and December 2021, many entries contained workplace names or industry categories instead of specific occupations, limiting standardization and analytic utility. - To improve the quality of occupational data in future pandemic preparedness, dual occupation–industry coding, searchable picklists, and real-time quality checks are needed.
Original Articles
- An Epidemiologic Investigation on an Outbreak of Anthrax Occurred in Kyongju by Eating Dead Cow's Meat.
- Hyun Sul Lim, Hae Kwan Cheong, Joung Soon Kim, Heechoul Ohr, Dong Mo Rhie, Ho Hoon Kim
- Korean J Prev Med. 1994;27(4):693-710.
- 2,909 View
- 44 Download
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Abstract
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- This epidemiologic study was carried out to investigate cause and magnitude of food-poisoning like epidemic occurred among inhabitants of a village who have eaten dead cow's meat near Kyonng in February of 1994, around lunar new year. The investigation consisted of interview survey on all inhabitants of 77 households (l11 males and 119 females) and their visitors (40 males and 35 females), skin test with anthraxinum(Russian product), study on clinical characteristics for the patients hospitalized, and microbiologic examination on microbes isolated from cow's meat, patient and soils of dead cow's barn. The results obtained are as followings; 1. The proportion of the inhabitants who ingested the dead cow's meat was 36.4%. The incidence rate of the disease was 65.1% for males, 41.7% for females and the cases were distributed evenly for all age groups. The group ingested raw meat showed higher incidence than the group ingested cooked meat. There was no case among people who did not eat the meat. 2. The most clinical symptoms were significantly more frequent among cases than non-cases; sore throat (57%), nausea (51%), fever(47%), indigestion(43%), cough(41%), anorekia(41%), abdominal distention(41%), and abdominal pain(39%) were the major symptoms among cases. 3. Among 29 cases hospitalized out of total 61 cases, three patients, all old and feeble persons, deceased from the disease resulting in 4.9% fatality rate among total patient and 10.3% among hospitalized. Septicemia and meningitis were the causes of the deaths. 4. Three strains isolated from patients, and three strains from dead cow's meat and soil revealed typical microbiologic characteristics of Bacillus Anthracis, which also proved to be fatal to experimentally infected mice.
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Summary
- Epidemiologic investigation to identify the cause of an infant methemoglobinemia.
- young Yeul Kim, Bo Youl Choi, Hung Bae Park, Min Young Kim, In Hak Yeo
- Korean J Prev Med. 1993;26(2):192-201.
- 2,608 View
- 21 Download
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Abstract
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- Epidemiologic investigation was conducted on January, 1993 in Seoul to identify the cause of an infant methemoglobinemia. Field investigation of the area of outbreak, survey of household and family members, analysis of ground water, and blood tests of involved family members were performed. Following results were obtained. On analyzing the quality of the ground water on patients's household high levels of nitrate was found indicating contamination of water as the cause of a methemoglobinemia outbreak. On analyzing the quality of the ground waters on seven other places within the neighborhood five were contaminated by nitrate in concentration that exceeded the permissible limit implying presence nearby source of contamination. Sources of contamination were thought to be originating from human waste in conventional bathroom facilities, chicken manure used in nearby orchards and plant fields or fertilizers. But the results of water analysis with presence of bacteria or E.coli, concentration of potassium, phosphate and the past history of diarrhea among family members, chicken manure suggested the most possible source of contamination. To evaluate the health status of members in the neighborhood past history was reviewed revealing no prior existence of patient with cyanosis and 65 people in the neighborhood had normal levels of methemoglobin concentration in their blood. Conclusively, the ground water on patient's household was contaminated with nitrate and despite provision of adequate water supply, family members of the patient along with distrust in the water supply system had used ground water as their source of drinking water resulting of methemoglobinemia. Many suburban area of Seoul and country side thought to be having similar problems concerning contaminated ground water supply and dormant outbreak of patients as a result of the drinking of the contaminated water. Epidemiologic investigation and water analysis of ground waters are advised.
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