ABSTRACT
Background: Testing using nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) samples is the cornerstone for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the procedure is uncomfortable and generates anxiety, especially in children. We aimed to evaluate the adequacy of oral saliva swab analysis using RT-PCR comparing to NPS by RT-PCR and Antigen Rapid Test (AgRT) on NPS in children. Methods: Cross-sectional multicenter diagnostic study nested in a prospective, observational cohort (EPICO-AEP) carried out between February and March 2021 at 10 hospitals in Spain. Participants were children 0 to 18 years old with symptoms compatible with SARS-CoV-2 infection of ≤5 days of duration attending at emergency departments. Three samples were collected, two NPS (for AgRT and for RT-PCR) and one oral saliva swab for RT-PCR. In patients with discordant results, new NPS was collected for viral culture and original samples were tested for viral RNA subgenomic (sgRNA) study. Results: 1174 children were included in the analysis, aged 3.8 years (IQR, 1.7-9.0), 647/1174 (55.1%) were male and 760/1174 (64.7%) presented fever 1 day before emergency department admission (IQR 1.0-2.0). Overall, 73/1174 (6.2%) patients tested positive in at least one of the techniques. Sensitivity for RT-PCR in oral saliva swab was 72.1% (95%CI, 59.7-81.9) and specificity 99.6% (95%CI, 99.0-99.9);AgRT in NPS was 61.8% (95%CI, 49.1-73.0) and 99.9% (95%CI, 99.4-100). Kappa index for RT-PCR oral saliva swab was 0.80 (95%CI, 0.72-0.88), and for AgRT was 0.74 (95%CI, 0.65-0.84) vs RT-PCR in NPS. A Bayesian model was used to estimate the accuracy assuming that RT-PCR in NPS is not a perfect gold standard. In this model, sensitivity for RT-PCR oral saliva swab was 84.8% (95%Cr 71.5-93.6), and for AgRT, it was 72.5% (95%Cr, 58.8-83.6). Specificity for RT-PCR oral saliva swab was 99.7% (95%Cr, 99.2-99.9), and for AgRT it was 99.9% (95% Cr, 99.6-100). The Cts were higher in oral saliva swabs compared with NPS;being Ct (NPS)=0.5 x (Ct saliva) + 4.5 (p=0.027). Overall, 4 (10.8%) patients with discordant results had a positive culture. In 3 of the 4 patients, the discordance consisted of positive result on oral saliva swab and nasopharyngeal swabs RT-PCR but negative by antigen rapid diagnostic test. No patient had (+) culture, (+)NP, (-)oral swab. Conclusion: RT-PCR on oral saliva swab is an accurate option for SARS-CoV-2 testing in children. A friendlier technique for younger patients, who must be tested very frequently, may help to increase the number of patients tested.
ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a digital transformation in university teaching that has yet to be assessed and analyzed in all its dimensions. Faced with this, institutions have developed different strategies, also in network, to train teachers. This paper offers a university program, #webinarsUNIA, framed in annual university teacher training plans from 2013-14 but open and free of charge for anyone interested. We focused on the results of the 2020-21 edition, with twenty seminars in response to teacher training demands due to the sudden and rapid virtualization of their programs during the pandemic and with a total of 10,933 participants from different geographical origins. To measure their satisfaction, surveys were designed with Cronbach's alpha 0.789, which considered, among other dimensions: organization, teachers, contents and format of the activities. The evaluation was optional and obtained a sample of 1908 responses (34% of those who completed the training). The outcomes were generally rather positive because they met the principle of relevance in the objectives, gathered in a needs survey prior to the design and timeliness in the format. In addition, they paved the way for the generation of new resources and learning products in SPOC format, which are very useful for training a large number of teachers on digital competences, educational innovation and e-learning in the Covid-19 scenario.
ABSTRACT
Online scientific meetings motivated by Covid19 have been a very common practice recently. This modality is not new, but today, due to its growth, it requires stable and experienced technological solutions. In one year, much progress has been made in different functions in videoconferencing systems, as well as in new formulas for presenting scientific papers, such as videoposters, which, using emerging video annotation technologies, allow greater interaction and discussion of scientific papers in an online event. The study analyzes the quantity and quality of the annotations in which the questions and answers between the authors and the listeners of a video-poster versus a face-to-face table are recorded face-to-face one. The evaluation of the experiment is performed under a descriptive study of quantitative and qualitative data, and content analysis techniques "Q-analysis" of the 437 annotations and 238 interventions in the 16 videoposters of an online event. The results show double the amount of participation in the video-poster modality compared to face-to-face communications, while listing a relevant number of benefits offered by videoposters for the development of online events and professional learning networks.