{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:36:52Z","timestamp":1760146612192,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,22]],"date-time":"2024-11-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1732233600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: There is limited evidence regarding the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the epidemiology of thoracic and cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate changes in medical visits for these conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We analyzed the entire Korean population (~50 million) for monthly medical visits for 15 common thoracic and cardiovascular conditions, including pneumothorax, large bullae, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, thymoma, empyema, mediastinitis, esophageal rupture, multiple rib fractures, hemothorax, rib mass, varicose vein, pectus excavatum, aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm, and valve disease from January 2019 to December 2021. Data were obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service using the International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 codes. Variations in the mean monthly medical visits of 15 frequent thoracic and cardiovascular diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared using the Mann\u2013Whitney U test, while changes in variance were assessed using Levene\u2019s test. Results: The mean monthly number of medical visits for pneumothorax and large bullae significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic (by 10.1% and 12.8%; both p &lt; 0.001). On the contrary, there was a significant increase in the mean monthly counts of medical visits for lung cancer, esophageal cancer, thymoma, and valve disease diagnosis (by 6.6%, 5.3%, 8.8%, and 5.0%, respectively; all p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: In Korea, the number of diagnosed cases of pneumothorax significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before COVID-19, while diagnoses of thoracic cancers and valve disease increased.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13237059","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,22]],"date-time":"2024-11-22T06:41:48Z","timestamp":1732257708000},"page":"7059","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Changes in the Epidemiology of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Diseases in Korea During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7545-024X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jung Ho","family":"Park","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9087-7783","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hong Kyu","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hyoung Soo","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kunil","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yong Joon","family":"Ra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0305-1255","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jeong Wook","family":"Kang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Park, K.H., Kim, A.R., Yang, M.A., Lim, S.J., and Park, J.H. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle, mental health, and quality of life of adults in South Korea. PLoS ONE, 16.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0247970"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gonzalez-Monroy, C., Gomez-Gomez, I., Olarte-Sanchez, C.M., and Motrico, E. (2021). Eating Behaviour Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182111130"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2010","DOI":"10.1377\/hlthaff.2020.00980","article-title":"The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Hospital Admissions in the United States","volume":"39","author":"Birkmeyer","year":"2020","journal-title":"Health Aff."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"368504211019854","DOI":"10.1177\/00368504211019854","article-title":"COVID-19 pandemic: A review of the global lockdown and its far-reaching effects","volume":"104","author":"Onyeaka","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Prog."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"883","DOI":"10.1001\/jamainternmed.2022.2476","article-title":"Leading Causes of Death in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic, March 2020 to October 2021","volume":"182","author":"Shiels","year":"2022","journal-title":"JAMA Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1345","DOI":"10.1111\/jocs.14638","article-title":"Collateral damage of COVID-19 pandemic: Delayed medical care","volume":"35","author":"Masroor","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Card. Surg."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102547","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajp.2021.102547","article-title":"Different prevalence trend of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers and general public before and after the peak of COVID-19 occurred in China: A meta-analysis","volume":"56","author":"Deng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Asian J. Psychiatr."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e050559","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-050559","article-title":"Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on haemorrhagic stroke admissions: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"11","author":"You","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Choi, H.G., Yoo, D.M., Kim, Y.H., Kwon, M.J., Kim, J.H., Song, J.H., and Kim, J.H. (2022). Changes in the Incidence of Cardiovascular Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea. J. Pers. Med., 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm12071183"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2136137","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2021.36137","article-title":"Comparison of Stress and Suicide-Related Behaviors Among Korean Youths Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic","volume":"4","author":"Kim","year":"2021","journal-title":"JAMA Netw. Open"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Choi, H.G., Kim, J.H., An, Y.H., Park, M.W., and Wee, J.H. (2022). Changes in the Mean and Variance of the Numbers of Medical Visits for Allergic Diseases before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea. J. Clin. Med., 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm11154266"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.5090\/jcs.21.125","article-title":"Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiac Surgery Practice and Outcomes","volume":"55","author":"Gopal","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Chest Surg."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141521","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2020.141521","article-title":"Changes in air pollution levels after COVID-19 outbreak in Korea","volume":"750","author":"Ju","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S48","DOI":"10.1097\/EDE.0000000000001013","article-title":"Association between ambient air pollution exposure and spontaneous pneumothorax occurrence","volume":"30","author":"Han","year":"2019","journal-title":"Epidemiology"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"506","DOI":"10.1111\/phn.12988","article-title":"Changes in awareness on face mask use in Korea","volume":"39","author":"Ha","year":"2022","journal-title":"Public Health Nurs."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4403","DOI":"10.21037\/tlcr-21-746","article-title":"Assessment of the fear of COVID-19 and its impact on lung cancer screening participation among the Korean general population","volume":"10","author":"Duong","year":"2021","journal-title":"Transl. Lung Cancer Res."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"508","article-title":"Changes in health care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"31","author":"Oh","year":"2021","journal-title":"Health Policy Manag."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Woo, W., Kim, B.J., Kim, J.H., Lee, S., and Moon, D.H. (2022). The Collateral Damage of the Pandemic on Non-COVID Related Pneumothorax Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J. Clin. Med., 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm11030795"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annepidem.2024.08.005","article-title":"Lung cancer incidence, 2019-2020, United States: The potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"98","author":"Kava","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ann. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1599","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chest.2023.01.008","article-title":"The Impact of COVID-19 on Lung Cancer Incidence in England","volume":"163","author":"Gysling","year":"2023","journal-title":"Chest"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"276","DOI":"10.6004\/jnccn.2021.7114","article-title":"Incident Cancer Detection During the COVID-19 Pandemic","volume":"20","author":"Eskander","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Natl. Compr. Cancer Netw."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Park, J.Y., Lee, Y.J., Kim, T., Lee, C.Y., Kim, H.I., Kim, J.H., Park, S., Hwang, Y.I., Jung, K.S., and Jang, S.H. (2020). Collateral effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on lung cancer diagnosis in Korea. BMC Cancer, 20.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12885-020-07544-3"},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"101084","article-title":"Incidental diagnosis of lung cancer on chest CT scan performed for suspected or documented COVID-19 infection","volume":"85","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Respir. Med. Res."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1053\/j.sult.2018.02.005","article-title":"Incidental Findings on Lung Cancer Screening: Significance and Management","volume":"39","author":"Tsai","year":"2018","journal-title":"Semin. Ultrasound CT MRI"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kim, S.Y., Yoo, D.M., Kwon, M.J., Kim, J.H., Kim, J.H., Bang, W.J., and Choi, H.G. (2022). Changes in the Mean of and Variance in Psychological Disease Incidences before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Korean Adult Population. J. Pers. Med., 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm12040576"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kim, S.Y., Yoo, D.M., Kim, J.H., Kwon, M.J., Kim, J.H., Chung, J., and Choi, H.G. (2022). Changes in Otorhinolaryngologic Disease Incidences before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192013083"},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). Infectious Disease Outbreak Patterns and Changes in Health Behavior and Medical Use During the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1177\/0218492320926886","article-title":"General thoracic surgery services across Asia during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"28","author":"Jheon","year":"2020","journal-title":"Asian Cardiovasc. Thorac. Ann."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2370","DOI":"10.1111\/1759-7714.13546","article-title":"Surgical care of thoracic malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico: An expert consensus guideline from the Sociedad Mexicana de Oncologia (SMeO) and the Sociedad Mexicana de Cirujanos Toracicos Generales (SMCTG)","volume":"11","author":"Alba","year":"2020","journal-title":"Thorac. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1016\/j.athoracsur.2020.03.015","article-title":"A High-Volume Thoracic Surgery Division Into the Storm of the COVID-19 Pandemic","volume":"110","author":"Maurizi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann. Thorac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.21053\/ceo.2020.00612","article-title":"Does the Clinical Spectrum of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Show Regional Differences?","volume":"13","author":"Kim","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin. Exp. Otorhinolaryngol."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/13\/23\/7059\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T16:37:31Z","timestamp":1760114251000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/13\/23\/7059"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,22]]},"references-count":31,"journal-issue":{"issue":"23","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm13237059"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm13237059","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2077-0383"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,22]]}}}