[Impact of COVID-19 on a rare disease (uveal melanoma) in a national reference unit of intraocular tumors in Spain]. / Impacto del COVID-19 en una enfermedad rara (melanoma uveal) en una unidad de referencia nacional de tumores intraoculares en España.

Objective: To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and management of uveal melanoma (a tumor included in the Orphanet catalog of rare diseases) in a Spanish national reference unit for intraocular tumors during the first year of the pandemic. Material and methods: An observational retrospective study of patients with uveal melanoma in the National Reference Unit for Adult Intraocular Tumors of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid (Spain) was performed, analyzing the pre- and post-COVID-19 periods: from March 15, 2019 to March 15, 2020 and from March 16, 2020 to March 16, 2021. Demographic data, diagnostic delay, tumor size, extraocular extension, treatment and evolution were collected. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors that were associated with the variable: enucleation. Results: Eighty-two patients with uveal melanoma were included, of which 42(51.21%) belonged to the pre-COVID-19 period and 40(40.78%) to the post-COVID-19 period. An increase in tumor size at diagnosis and in the number of enucleations was observed during the post-COVID-19 period (p < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that both medium-large tumor size and patients diagnosed in the post-COVID-19 period were independently related to an increased risk of enucleation (OR 250, 95%CI, 27.69-2256.37; p < 0.01 and OR 10; 95% CI,1.10-90.25; p = 0.04, respectively). Conclusions: The increase in tumor size observed in uveal melanomas diagnosed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic may have favored the increase in the number of enucleations performed during that period.

Impact of COVID-19 on a rare disease (uveal melanoma) in a national reference unit of intraocular tumors in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and management of uveal melanoma (a tumour included in the Orphanet catalogue of rare diseases) in a Spanish national reference unit for intraocular tumours during the first year of the pandemic. METHOD: An observational retrospective study of patients with uveal melanoma in the National Reference Unit for Adult Intraocular Tumors of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid (Spain) was performed, analysing the pre- and post-COVID-19 periods: from March 15, 2019 to March 15, 2020 and from March 16, 2020 to March 16, 2021. Demographic data, diagnostic delay, tumour size, extraocular extension, treatment and evolution were collected. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors that were associated with the variable: enucleation. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients with uveal melanoma were included, of which 42 (51.21%) belonged to the pre-COVID-19 period and 40(40.78%) to the post-COVID-19 period. An increase in tumour size at diagnosis and in the number of enucleations was observed during the post-COVID-19 period (p < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that both medium-large tumour size and patients diagnosed in the post-COVID-19 period were independently related to an increased risk of enucleation (OR 250, 95%CI, 27.69-2256.37; p < 0.01 and OR 10; 95%CI, 1.10-90.25; p = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The increase in tumour size observed in uveal melanomas diagnosed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic may have favored the increase in the number of enucleations performed during that period.

Case Study - Understanding the Correlation Between the Components of an Emergency Resuscitator

Given the high spread of Covid-19, many hospitals suffered from a shortage of ventilators to treat patients. Consequently, emergency resuscitators (ER) became popular as a cheaper and easier to manufacture option that would satisfy the need for ventilators in hospitals. These devices are characterized by an automated mechanism that tightens a Bag valve mask (BVM), commonly known as a manual resuscitator. The ERs main components are the controller, sensors, the Human Machine Interface (HMI), and the motor. For the effective design of these devices, the team must understand the relationship between components. In the iterative process of designing, changing one part can easily affect the operation of other components. This is the most critical points of the case study presented since it is not feasible to replace a component without considering the requirements of the other parts that make up the final product. Using a resuscitator developed by a Puerto Rican company as an example, if changes were to be made, to keep the current sensors, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) should be used as a controller. Changing the PLC affects the sensors and limits the options of the HMIs since many of them are designed to work with the same brand. On the other hand, when selecting the motor, the communication method and compatibility with the controller must be considered. For these reasons, this paper presents a case study to share the compatibility issues that are faced when developing this type of device. © 2022 IISE Annual Conference and Expo 2022. All rights reserved.

Taking care for those who take care: Experiences of informal caregivers of dependent elderly people in a COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had catastrophic consequences worldwide in different scopes, such as healthcare, education, housing, among others. As an important consequence, it revealed the fragility of social protection systems in Latin America, as depicted in the lack of alternative mechanisms to respond to the complex demands raised by the pandemics. As for healthcare systems, all efforts were focused in COVID-19 patients, leaving aside other patients, as bedridden patients who used to receive complementary attention at home, causing a big deal of stress to their informal home care providers. This research analyzes the perceptions, challenges, and expectations of informal care providers in this pandemic context. Throughout a six-month period, 12 semi structured interviews were performed online. The information was analyzed based on the principles of Grounded Theory, showing this has been a period particularly negative for informal care providers, as the offer of support public services has been diminished, increasing the perception of abandonment and vulnerability. Public policies to be developed are also discussed. © 2021 Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso. All rights reserved.

Acute aortic thrombosis associated with COVID-19 infection

Introduction: COVID-19 infection has been associated with significant coagulation disorders, particularly hyperco-agulable states. We present two cases of aortic thrombosis associated with COVID-19 infection and their outcome. Case report: case 1. Patient with asymptomatic aortic arch thrombosis. Case 2. Patient with aortoiliac thrombosis with acute lower extremity ischemia. Discussion: up to 20 %of patients with COVID-19 have some complication, including bleeding disorders. Surgical treatment of patients with COVID-19 infection and arterial complications poses a complex scenario when deciding on therapeutic conduct.

Space and education: challenges of distance learning in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic

The COVID 19 pandemic has significantly altered the functioning of educational institutions. Most governments have adopted social distancing and quarantine strategies, with the suspension of face-to-face classes being one of the most frequently used measures. This essay seeks to address online education using elements of the theory of social systems developed by Niklas Luhmann. According to our analysis, these teaching modalities face at least two challenges: a) the absence of a specifically educational interaction space different from the family space and b) the restriction of teaching to what can be transmitted digitally. This challenge demands the need to promote organizational processes in educational institutions that recognize the possibilities of distance learning.

How do we tackle the COVID-19 crisis? Mass media and psychological responses to the health crisis in Spain

During global health crises, the mass media plays a key role in the construction of risk society. This paper analyses people's perception during the confinement in Spain regarding the role of mass media and its relationship with psychological responses and attitudes towards social control. Results from the survey (n = 704) suggest that certain groups have been more affected by the messages distributed by the media, rendering them more vulnerable to suffering from negative psychological responses. The mass media interferes with the manner in which people psychologically deal with this crisis and the behaviour that results from their perception of risk. © 2021. All Rights Reserved.

The role of media in health crisis situations. The perception of society on social control and norms during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: This study focuses on the analysis of the perception on the roles of mass media during the health crisis derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. It also studies how people adopt specific roles oriented towards the legitimation and implementation of control and social norms. Methodology: A questionnaire was designed based on a set of Likert type answers responded by 704 people from different regions in Spain. Data were analyzed using SPSS software package. Results: Results indicate that sex and age are determining variables in the legitimation and implementation of social control between peers. Results also indicate that there is a relationship between the way people perceive the role of media and their predisposition to abide by and exercise social norms and control. Discussion and conclusions: Both the literature and obtained data show that there is a relationship between the role of media in situations of social alarm and health crisis, and the processes of construction and legitimation of cosmovisions of "reality" derived from disinformation, hoaxes and noise information.