SARS-CoV-2 variants and associated cases during four epidemic waves in Sinaloa, Mexico

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health problem that has revealed deficiencies and challenges in health systems worldwide. To date, four waves (each one driven by different viral variants and showing different behaviors) have affected Mexico. Here we describe the COVID-19 pandemic behavior in the population of Sinaloa, Mexico after four epidemic waves. Epidemiological data were obtained from public federal databases from March 2020 to February 2022, and genomes of SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest (VOI) and concern (VOC) in Sinaloa were downloaded from the GISAID database from January 2021 to May 2022. The relative risk (RR) of SARS-CoV-2 infection was calculated from public data. Sinaloa presented four epidemic waves from March 2020 to February 2022, and each wave was driven by different variants with different degrees of transmissibility and severity. Interestingly, the delta variant (which dominated the third wave) was probably the most severe, producing a large number of cases per day and high mortality rates, while the omicron variant (which dominated the fourth wave) produced the largest number of cases per day but decreased mortality rates. Most of the COVID-19 cases in Sinaloa occurred among people between 30 and 45 years old, and the average age of the deceased was above 60 years old in all waves. Older people showed higher risk of infection than infants and younger people;however, the relative risk (RR) for people older than 60 years old decreased in the third and fourth waves. Men older than 60 years old showed higher RR than women of the same age group. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown changing behaviors in time, mostly derived from different emerging viral variants and the immunization of the population. Overall, these results show that SARS-CoV-2 infections appear in timely waves, each one driven by different variants (and subvariants or sublineages), with different degrees of transmissibility and severity. The population should continue with preventive measures to avoid infection.

Safety and Efficacy of Sars-Cov-2 Vaccination in 1237 Patients with Primary Sjogren Syndrome

Objectives. To investigate the safety and efficacy of SARS-Cov-2 vaccination in a large international cohort of patients with primary Sjogren syndrome due to scarcity of data in this population. Methods. By the first week of May 2021, all Big Data Sjogren Consortium centers had been contacted and asked for Registry patients to be included in the study if they had received at least one dose of any SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The in-charge physician asked patients about local and systemic reactogenicity, using a pre-defined electronic questionnaire to collect epidemiologic data, COVID 19 vaccination data, and COVID 19 vaccination side effects. Adverse events were defined as those reported by the patient at the site of injection within 7 days from vaccination (reactogenicity) as local adverse events, systemic symptoms as systemic side effects, and postvaccination AEs of special interest related to SS as SS flares. Results. The vaccination data of 1237 patients (1170 women, with a mean age at diagnosis of primary SjS of 50.5 13.2) were received. A total of 835 patients (67 percent) reported any adverse event, including local (53 percent) and systemic (50 percent) AEs. Subjective symptoms (63%) were the most common local AEs, followed by objective signs at the injection site (16%) and general symptoms were the most commonly reported systemic AEs (46 percent), followed by musculoskeletal (25 percent), gastrointestinal (9 percent), cardiopulmonary (3 percent), and neurological (2 percent). People under 60 years old had a higher risk of developing AE after vaccination (OR 2.48, CI 95 1.89-3.27 percent), as did those with low systemic SS activity (OR 1.62, CI 95 1.22-2.15) and those who received mRNA vaccines, according to a multivariate analysis (OR 1.57, CI 95 percent 1.12- 2.18). The risk of developing systemic AEs was also higher in women (OR 2.85, CI 95 percent 1.60-5.2346), White people (OR 1.73, CI 95 1.14-2.65), and those who received a deficient vaccination regimen (OR 1.78, CI 95 1.12-2.88 percent). In addition to 141 (11%) patients who reported a significant worsening/exacerbation of their pre-vaccination sicca symptoms as a result of post-vaccination SS flares, 15 (1.2%) patients (13 women, mean age at vaccination 41.9 years) reported active involvement in the glandular (n=8), articular (n=7), cutaneous (n=6), pulmonary (n=2), and peripheral nervous system (n=1) domains as post-vaccination systemic flare. All side effects and flares subsided within 1-3 weeks, with no lasting effects or deaths. In terms of vaccination efficacy, breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed after vaccination in three (0.24 percent) patients, all of whom recovered completely, and positive anti-SARS-Cov-2 antibodies were detected in approximately 95 percent of vaccinated SjS patients, according to data available. Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with primary SjS, like other vaccines with adequate response and no safety signals, raised no concerns about the vaccine's efficacy or safety.

Sars-Cov-2 Infection in 898 Patients with Sjogren's Syndrome: Characteristics Associated with Poor Outcomes

Objectives. To determine characteristics associated with a more severe COVID-19 outcome in people with Sjogren's disease (SJD). Methods. People with SJD and COVID-19 reported to two international registries (Sjogren Big Data Consortium and COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance) from March 2020 to October 2021 were included. An ordinal COVID-19 severity scale was defined: (1) not hospitalized, (2) hospitalized with no ventilation, (3) hospitalized requiring non-invasive ventilation, (4) hospitalized requiring invasive ventilation, and (5) death. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using a multivariable ordinal logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities and anti-rheumatic medications included as covariates. Results. A total of 898 people with SJD were included (825 (91.8%) women, mean age SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis: 55.5 years), including 652 patients with primary SJD and 246 with other associated systemic rheumatic diseases. 33.9% were hospitalized, 14.5% required ventilation, and 4.3% died. In the multivariable model, older age (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05), male sex (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.92), two or more comorbidities (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.92 to 4.67;vs none), baseline therapy with corticosteroids (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.46), immunosuppressive agents (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.30 to 3.38) and B-cell depleting agents (OR 5.38, 95% CI 2.77 to 10.47) were associated with worse outcomes (reference for all medications: hydroxychloroquine only). Conclusions. More severe COVID-19 outcomes in individuals with Sjogren's are largely driven by demographic factors and baseline comorbidities. Patients using immunosuppressants, especially rituximab, also experienced more severe outcomes.

Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the energy consumption of university buildings.

Exceptional pandemic lockdown measures enabled singular experiments such as analysing the energy consumption of vacant buildings. This paper assesses the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the energy use of academic buildings. For this purpose, weather-adjusted energy use was compared before and during the lockdown, including different levels of lockdown restrictions. Results obtained for the 83 academic buildings of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - Barcelona Tech (UPC) reveal that the avoided energy consumption amounted to over 4.3 GWh during the post-pandemic year. However, the results indicate that academic buildings were still using approximately 46.9% of their typical energy consumption during strict lockdown. This revelation emphasizes the high environmental burden of buildings, regardless of whether they are occupied.

Mise à jour des recommandations EULAR sur l’utilisation des thérapies immunomodulatrices dans la prise en charge de la Covid-19

Introduction Les formes sévères de COVID-19 comportent à une hyperinflammation systémique intense ;ce qui a justifié des essais thérapeutiques avec des immunomodulateurs régulièrement utilisés chez les patients atteints de maladies systémiques auto-immunes ou inflammatoires Depuis février 2021 où les premières recommandations EULAR sur l’utilisation de thérapeutiques immunomodulatrices dans le COVID-19 ont été publiées [1], de nouveaux essais thérapeutiques ont été réalisés ce qui rend nécessaire une mise à jour ces recommandations. Matériels et méthodes Selon les procédures standardisées de l’EULAR [2], les résultats d’une revue de la littérature systémique réalisée jusqu’au 15 décembre 2020 puis mise à jour jusqu’au 14 juillet 2021 incluant tous types d’études ont été présentés à un groupe de travail multidisciplinaire composé d’experts internationaux comprenant des rhumatologues, des immunologistes translationnels, des hématologues, des pédiatres, des patients et des professionnels de la santé. La mise à jour des recommandations a été discutée et votée par l’ensemble du panel d’experts sur la base des résultats présentés, principalement des essais randomisés contrôlés (ECT) sur différents traitements immunomodulateurs. Résultats La mise à jour comprend deux principes généraux et dix recommandations. Les recommandations concernent uniquement la prise en charge des patients présentant des formes de COVID-19 modérées à sévères ou critiques, faute de preuves suffisantes avec très peu d’ECT concernant les patients asymptomatiques et ceux avec des formes légères de la maladie. Les molécules suivantes ont montré une efficacité dans le traitement de formes modérées à sévères ou critiques du COVID-19. L’association de glucocorticoïdes et de tocilizumab est bénéfique dans les cas de COVID-19 nécessitant une oxygénothérapie et dans les cas critiques de COVID-19. L’utilisation d’inhibiteurs de Janus kinase (baricitinib et tofacitinib) et peut-être d’Ac anti-GM-CSF est prometteuse dans les mêmes populations. Les anticorps monoclonaux anti-SARS-CoV-2 et l’utilisation de plasma convalescent pourraient trouver une application dans les phases précoces de la maladie et dans certains sous-groupes de patients immunodéprimés. D’autres immunomodulateurs comme l’hydroxychloroquine, la colchicine ou l’anakinra n’ont pas démontré leur efficacité sur la mortalité et ou sur l’aggravation clinique (évolution vers une détresse respiratoire), quel que soit le stade de la maladie. Conclusion Un nombre grandissant d’ECT soutiennent l’efficacité de l’association de glucocorticoïdes et d’autres agents immunomodulateurs tels que le tocilizumab dans le traitement de formes modérée à sévère et critique du COVID-19. De plus, certaines études en cours pourraient confirmer l’efficacité potentielle d’autres approches thérapeutiques comme les inhibiteurs de JAK ou les Ac anti-GM-CSF. L’implication des rhumatologues, en tant qu’experts des maladies inflammatoires et auto-immunes systémiques et des traitements immunomodulateurs est nécessaire dans le design des nouveaux essais cliniques et dans l’élaboration de nouvelles recommandations pour la prise en charge du COVID-19.

Characterization and Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with Sarcoidosis.

To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in patients with sarcoidosis from a large multicenter cohort from Southern Europe and to identify the risk factors associated with a more complicated infection. We searched for patients with sarcoidosis presenting with SARS-CoV-2 infection (defined according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control guidelines) among those included in the SarcoGEAS Registry, a nationwide, multicenter registry of patients fulfilling the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society/World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders 1999 classification criteria for sarcoidosis. A 2:1 age-sex-matched subset of patients with sarcoidosis without SARS-CoV-2 infection was selected as control population. Forty-five patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified (28 women, mean age 55 years). Thirty-six patients presented a symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and 14 were hospitalized (12 required supplemental oxygen, 2 intensive care unit admission and 1 mechanical ventilation). Four patients died due to progressive respiratory failure. Patients who required hospital admission had an older mean age (64.9 vs. 51.0 years, p = 0.006), a higher frequency of baseline comorbidities including cardiovascular disease (64% vs. 23%, p = 0.016), diabetes mellitus (43% vs. 13%, p = 0.049) and chronic liver/kidney diseases (36% vs. 0%, p = 0.002) and presented more frequently fever (79% vs. 35%, p = 0.011) and dyspnea (50% vs. 3%, p = 0.001) in comparison with patients managed at home. Age- and sex-adjusted multivariate analysis identified the age at diagnosis of SARS-Cov-2 infection as the only independent variable associated with hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio 1.18, 95% conficence interval 1.04-1.35). A baseline moderate/severe pulmonary impairment in function tests was associated with a higher rate of hospitalization but the difference was not statistically significant (50% vs. 23%, p = 0.219). A close monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 infection in elderly patients with sarcoidosis, especially in those with baseline cardiopulmonary diseases and chronic liver or renal failure, is recommended. The low frequency of severe pulmonary involvement in patients with sarcoidosis from Southern Europe may explain the weak prognostic role of baseline lung impairment in our study, in contrast to studies from other geographical areas.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases

Systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) are a heterogeneous group of diseases with a common aetiopathogenic basis affecting all ages characterised by a systemic phenotypic expression with a wide range of severity and outcomes that often require immunosuppressive therapies, leaving patients at high risk of infection. Knowledge of the impact of COVID-19 in patients with SAD is limited because most are included in studies carried out in patients with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases (mainly inflammatory arthritis). Most studies supported an increased risk of SARS-Cov-2 infection in patients with AD and SAD. Although case-control studies reported no significant differences in the rate of poor outcomes between patients with and without AD, large population-based studies analysing baseline risk factors reported a 2-3 times higher rate of poor outcomes in patients with AD, especially in those with SAD. Individual risk factors associated with poor outcomes included gender male, older age, and underlying comorbidities and therapies (glucocorticoids, sulfasalazine, immunosuppressants and rituximab). Patients with SAD had less favourable COVID-19 outcomes than those with inflammatory arthritis, possibly due to a differentiated underlying therapeutic approach (glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants and B-cell depleting agents for most SAD, anti-cytokine therapies and JAK inhibitors for inflammatory arthritis). Despite the limited evidence, most studies suggest that patients with SAD have an increased risk of a worse evolution of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including a greater risk of hospitalisation/ICU admission and worse survival rates and, therefore, should be considered a high-risk group for COVID-19.

Long Covid-19: Proposed Primary Care Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Disease Management

Long COVID-19 may be defined as patients who, four weeks after the diagnosis of SARS-Cov-2 infection, continue to have signs and symptoms not explainable by other causes. The estimated frequency is around 10% and signs and symptoms may last for months. The main long-term manifestations observed in other coronaviruses (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)) are very similar to and have clear clinical parallels with SARS-CoV-2: mainly respiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuropsychiatric. The growing number of patients worldwide will have an impact on health systems. Therefore, the main objective of these clinical practice guidelines is to identify patients with signs and symptoms of long COVID-19 in primary care through a protocolized diagnostic process that studies possible etiologies and establishes an accurate differential diagnosis. The guidelines have been developed pragmatically by compiling the few studies published so far on long COVID-19, editorials and expert opinions, press releases, and the authors' clinical experience. Patients with long COVID-19 should be managed using structured primary care visits based on the time from diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Based on the current limited evidence, disease management of long COVID-19 signs and symptoms will require a holistic, longitudinal follow up in primary care, multidisciplinary rehabilitation services, and the empowerment of affected patient groups.

Skin manifestations of COVID-19 in children: Part 1.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The initial recognized symptoms were respiratory, sometimes culminating in severe respiratory distress requiring ventilation, and causing death in a percentage of those infected. As time has passed, other symptoms have been recognized. The initial reports of cutaneous manifestations were from Italian dermatologists, probably because Italy was the first European country to be heavily affected by the pandemic. The overall clinical presentation, course and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children differ from those in adults as do the cutaneous manifestations of childhood. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 in children after thorough and critical review of articles published in the literature and from the personal experience of a large panel of paediatric dermatologists in Europe. In Part 1, we discuss one of the first and most widespread cutaneous manifestation of COVID-19, chilblain-like lesions. In Part 2, we review other manifestations, including erythema multiforme, urticaria and Kawasaki disease-like inflammatory multisystemic syndrome, while in Part 3, we discuss the histological findings of COVID-19 manifestations, and the testing and management of infected children, for both COVID-19 and any other pre-existing conditions.