Neoadyuvant Treatment in the Covid Era

Since Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared pandemic in March 2020, there have been 545.226.550 cases up to 4 July 2022 (1). Several studies concluded that patients (pts) with cancer are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection, morbidity and mortality. Those undergoing neoadyuvant treatment are at particularly risk of disease progression if chemotherapy or surgery are delayed. Also, is known that a higher NLR (neutrophil to limphocyte ratio) is related to worse outcomes (3). Our hospital is located at the Northwest of Spain and in the last months we noticed a never seen number of infections in cancer population. The aim of this study is to evaluate the severity of COVID19 and its impact on chemotherapy and surgery delay in pts undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy breast cancer. METHOD(S): We conducted a ambispective, unicenter, observational study of breast cancer pts, treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, between March 2020 and May 2022 at University Hospital A Coruna (Spain). We analyzed type of infection, need of hospitalization, chemotherapy and surgical delay, and its association with tumor type;BRCA germline mutation;clinical stage;treatment;vaccination status;and neutrophils, lymphocytes, and NLR before COVID-19 disease. RESULT(S): During the study period, from 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2022, 183 pts underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 23 (12.5%) pts experienced COVID-19 infection, of which 21 were diagnosed between January and May 2022. The median age was 47,91 years [range 33 - 69 years]. Luminal B HER 2 negative comprised the most common molecular subtype (40.9%), followed by Triple Negative (36.4%), Luminal B HER 2 positive (13.6%), and HER 2 enriched (9.1%). Germline mutations in BRCA account for 13.6% pts. At diagnosis, 4.5%, 72.7%, and 22.7% had stages I, II, and III respectively. Chemotherapy treatments included: paclitaxel followed by AdryamicineCyclophosphamide (AC) (45.4%);carboplatin - paclitaxel - trastuzumab - pertuzumab (18,2%);carboplatin - paclitaxel followed by AC (18,2%);KEYNOTE-756: pembrolizumab/placebo - paclitaxel followed by AC (13.7%);and paclitaxel - trastuzumab - pertuzumab followed by myocet - cyclophosphamide - trastuzumab - pertuzumab (4.5%). The association of G-CSF ocurred in 9 pts (40.9%). 22 pts were fully vaccinated, 8 pts (36.4%) with two doses and 13 pts (59.1%) with three doses. 77.3% pts experienced mild respiratory symptoms with 9.1% hospitalizations. The median duration of delays was 15 days for chemotherapy and 29,58 days for surgery. NLR percentil 25 was associated with COVID-19 type of infection. For those pts with a lower rate, infection was asymptomatic and for those with a higher rate symptoms were moderate (X2= 5,119, p = 0,024). CONCLUSION(S): COVID-19 disease become a high prevalent infection in pts undergoing neoadjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy. Most pts are fully vaccinated and experienced an indolent infection. NLR is an easily measurable and cost-effective parameter that could be useful as a prognostic marker of severity in COVID-19. We will continue to follow-up these pts to see the impact of chemotherapy or surgery delay in pathological complete response and disease-free survival until the congress in December 2022.

POLLINATOR-FLOWER INTERACTIONS IN GARDENS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN OF 2020

During the main COVID-19 global pandemic lockdown period of 2020 an impromptu set of pollination ecologists came together via social media and personal contacts to carry out standardised surveys of the flower visits and plants in gardens. The surveys involved 67 rural, suburban and urban gardens, of various sizes, ranging from 61.18° North in Norway to 37.96° South in Australia, resulting in a data set of 25,174 rows, with each row being a unique interaction record for that date/site/plant species, and comprising almost 47,000 visits to flowers, as well as records of flowers that were not visited by pollinators, for over 1,000 species and varieties belonging to more than 460 genera and 96 plant families. The more than 650 species of flower visitors belong to 12 orders of invertebrates and four of vertebrates. In this first publication from the project, we present a brief description of the data and make it freely available for any researchers to use in the future, the only restriction being that they cite this paper in the first instance. The data generated from these global surveys will provide scientific evidence to help us understand the role that private gardens (in urban, rural and suburban areas) can play in conserving insect pollinators and identify management actions to enhance their potential. © 2022 The authors.

Stress and Anxiety in four Peruvian Female Teachers after having suffered COVID-19

Introduction: The global impact of COVID-19 has generated unprecedented sociocultural, economic and political changes. In the educational context, it caused manifestations of stress and anxiety, especially in teachers convalescing from COVID-19, leaving them biopsychosocial sequelae that limited their teaching work. Objective: To analyze the manifestations of stress and anxiety in four Peruvian teachers after having suffered from COVID-19. Methods: Qualitative, phenomenological, hermeneutical study that allowed us to reflect on the manifestations of stress and anxiety that the participating teachers affected after having suffered from COVID-19. The study categories were Stress and Anxiety. The research was developed in three stages: 1. Descriptive, 2. Structural and 3. Discussion. In the first, the planning of the methodological and ethical processes was carried out. In the second, intervention protocols and contingency plans were proposed and a first approach was made to the participating teachers. In the third, the results obtained were contrasted with previous studies;allowing to determine the convergent and divergent points relevant to the present study. Results: Manifestations of stress and anxiety at a physical, mental and intellectual level were found in four Peruv ian teachers after having suffered from COVID-19, which limited their extraordinary teaching performance. Conclusions: Apart from the diagnosed manifestations of stress and anxiety and thanks to the motivation, commitment, perseverance and perseverance demonstrated by the participants;They were able to readjust to the new reality and gradually begin to recover their pedagogical skills. © 2021, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.

Remote education and teaching performance in educational institutions of Huancavelica in times of COVID-19

The objective of this study was to describe the performance of teachers at the secondary level of the district of Huancavelica-Peru, in the implementation of a remote education in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, digital and social-emotional behavior in a social situation of isolation. The study is of a qualitative nature, framed in the type of socio-critical interpretive paradigm research, designed through grounded theory methodology, with the application of the semi-structured interview in a sample of 4 teachers from the different curricular areas, 4 hierarchical teachers (managers and coordinators) and 6 students of the VII cycle of secondary education. The following conclusions were reached;(1) Teachers in these times of the Covid-19 pandemic have been facing complex moments of work, due to the drastic change from face-to-face education to remote education, which has a format very different from the traditional one, making use and management of resources technological, through synchronous and asynchronous work. (2). The teaching performance in these times of the Covid-19 pandemic refers to digital skills, which must be strengthened in the proper use and management of technological resources, and these difficulties have allowed teachers to make substantial changes in their behavior socio-emotional, frequently showing anxiety, loneliness, stress, sadness, worry, anger and negative thinking, as they require strengthening their socio-emotional adaptive capacity, to adequately face the challenges that the implementation of this new remote educational service modality.