코로나19의 사회경제적 부담과 영향에 대한 체계적 문헌고찰

Systematic Review of the Socioeconomic Burdens and Impacts of COVID-19: Focusing on the Healthcare Resources Utilization and Industrial Implications in the Early Pandemic PeriodEarly Pandemic Period

BACKGROUNDS COVID-19 pandemic has caused great losses to the national macroeconomy beyond the shortage of health care resources. OBJECTIVES This study systematically reviewed previous literature to evaluate the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Korea. METHODS Searches were performed on PubMed and manually in Google Scholar, spanning from January 2020 to August 2023. Two reviewers independently chose studies based on pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria and followed the PRISMA guideline. Covidence, a semi-automated program, was used to facilitate the review process. RESULTS After reviewing 367 studies in a two-step process, we finally selected 10 relevant papers. These papers covered various topics: four focused on direct medical costs and healthcare resource utilization, four on the labor market, and two on macro economy and industry. Treatment costs (KRW 2.97 trillion, 41.8%) accounted for the largest portion of national health insurance-covered expenditures from January 2020 to June 2022, followed by KRW 2.34 trillion for diagnostic tests, KRW 1.10 trillion for vaccines and other expenses. In the early stage of COVID-19, the national employment rate dropped by 0.89%, with a particularly steep decline observed in small-sized businesses. Short-term job losses in the service industry and long-term downsizing in the manufacturing sector were noted. The pandemic disproportionately affected irregular, young workers, and the self-employed. CONCLUSION This study reveals that COVID-19 significantly impacted not only on direct medical costs but also on the labor market and the broader economy. Discussions are essential to mitigate socioeconomic losses.