ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Describe and analyze scientific activity on COVID-19 in Latin America. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through a systematic review of the literature in PubMed, LILACS, and the preprinted repositories BioRxiv and medRxiv, all available documents on COVID-19 in Latin America from January 1 to April 24, 2020, were retrieved for review and bibliometric analysis. RESULTS: A total of 29 publications were included in the analysis. The country with the most scientific production was Brazil (10/29; 34,4%) followed by Colombia (6/29; 20,6%) and Mexico (6/29; 20,6%). The university with the most articles was the Technological University of Pereira, Colombia (5/29; 17,2%). 41,3% of the publications were preprinted documents. Most of the excluded studies were editorial comments or expert opinions. Three out of four investigations had an epidemiological focus (21/29; 72,4%); Limited studies on diagnosis (5/29; 17,24%), pathophysiology (2/29, 2,8%) and therapeutic. CONCLUSION: Despite the exponential growth of publications in the world, there is a limited amount of information on the behavior of this infection in Latin America. The publication of studies with high methodological quality is required, which provide knowledge of the impact of the pandemic in the region.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Latin America/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Mexico , Pandemics , BibliometricsABSTRACT
Background: The deterioration of Venezuela's health system in recent years undoubtedly contributes to an increased impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding healthcare workers' (HCWs) knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) toward COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic could inform their medical training and improve their preparedness. Methods: A online national cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 26th and May 30th, 2020, to assess KAPs among HCWs in Venezuela. Results: A total of 1,441 HCWs from all 24 regions of the country responded to the survey. The mean age of the HCWs was 44 (SD [standard deviation] 14) years; most were women (66.4%). Most HCWs were specialized doctors (48%), followed by nurses (13%) and resident doctors (12.3%). The majority of HCWs had good knowledge (76.3%), obtained information mainly from scientific literature (85.4%); had negative attitudes (53.6%), felt uncomfortable with their work during the current pandemic (59.8%); and reported appropriate practices (76.9%). However, participation in COVID-19 related training was absent in more than half of the HCWs. Positive attitudes were significantly more frequent in frontline workers than in non-frontline workers (p = 0.001). Bioanalysts, students, and doctors were more likely to have good knowledge; participating in training was a predictor for positive attitudes and older age was an appropriate practice predictor. Conclusions: HCWs, knowledge in Venezuela could be improved by strengthening education and training programs. Strategies should focus on reducing fear and improving attitudes toward the care of COVID-19 patients, as well as the promotion of preventive practices.