Acoustic contamination assessment during the transition between the COVID-19 restrictions and reactivation: A exploratory analysis in Guayaquil

Noise pollution is becoming a critical health risk for city life. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many cities to implement several mobility restrictions. These restrictions changed human activity patterns and decreased the noise levels and noise pollution that often affect urban settings. As the number of infections decreased, so did the outdoor activities, influencing the population's perception of noise. This paper aims to evaluate the changes in noise levels associated with mobility restrictions between 2020 and 2021 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. This study used crowdsourcing with the help of smartphones and mobile applications to collect geo-referenced environmental noise data. The data was used to generate noise maps in different time frames. Finally, noise level maps were created using GIS-based tools to identify the urban areas that experienced the highest noise level variation during the study period. The results show that the most significant noise increase occurred at night. Furthermore, when analyzing noise level changes in different urban areas, the western area of Guayaquil was the one that experienced the most significant noise level variation. Findings inform the perception of noise pollution and could potentially serve as a reference for decision-makers during the proposal of public policies that ensure a better quality of life for its citizens. © 2023 The Authors

Side effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine in the personnel of the Military Central Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The pandemic disease by SARS-CoV-2 infection does not have an effective treatment. To prevent the disease, scientists developed vaccines that the clinicians use as an emergency licensed vaccine. The objective of this study was to determine the side effects in personnel vaccinated at the Military Central Hospital of Mexico with the BNT162b2 vaccine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included the subjects who had received both doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine between December 2020 and February 2021. We asked about the side effects after the first and the second vaccine doses. One group had no history of COVID-19, and the second had a history of COVID-19. ANTI-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured by the immunodetection technique in the second group only. RESULTS: We included 946 participants, 62% were women, and 80% were without comorbidities; 680 were included in the first group, and only 266 were in the second group. After the first dose, 77% of the first group and 86% of the second group presented some side effects. After the second dose, 84% of the first group and 89% of the second group showed some side effects. The main side effect was mild pain. All participants (126) were IgG positive, and only 26.9% were IgM positive at 17.5 days (12.8 days, 20.3 days) after the second dose. CONCLUSIONS: There is a positive correlation between side effects after the first dose in patients with a history of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to those who did not. Nevertheless, this correlation is not present after the second dose. The low percentage of IgM could be related to the time interval between vaccination and sample measure.

Plenary: Real-Time Transformation of the freshmen Mathematics Engineering Courses during COVID-19 Outbreak

Due to the circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic year 2020 represented a challenge for engineering education around the world. In Guatemala, the first case of COVID-19 was reported on Friday, March 13, 2020, and as a consequence, all higher-level educational institutions were closed. Before the pandemic, in Universidad Galileo, all of the different engineering mathematics courses were taught traditionally following a face-to-face format. As a result, the pandemics' challenge consists of, not only the fact of having to transform the teaching and learning format but also in making the transition in the shortest amount of time possible. During the pandemic, the class sessions continued with the schedule established at the beginning of the semester, but with the help of video conferencing tools. It is important to mention that we used a set of distance teaching tools and techniques that help us fulfilling the main objective of the course: students' learning while enhancing their motivation. A test designed specifically for the pandemic situation was used to measure the students' motivation. Such a test includes sub-scales associated with the students' feelings about the current situation and it also assesses the course structure, flexibility, and content delivery in the virtual format. In this plenary, we present our experience and the main lessons learned from such a transition from traditional to virtual teaching.

Rapid tests for COVID-19, the best alternative for Ecuador

The respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus has more than 18 million people infected and more than 600 thousand deaths worldwide, in Ecuador there are already more than 88 thousand infected. Being the fourth country with less diagnostic tests performed, Ecuador could face a delay in epidemiological research and an absence of real data from the affected population. There are two types of tests for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2: molecular tests that are the gold standard and are based on virus detection (qRT-PCR and RT-LAMP) and rapid tests that detect antibodies generated by the immune response. Both tests have pros and cons that make them complementary and increase their scope, since the population-focused is different. Molecular tests can detect the presence of the virus on average, one week before and up to one week after the onset of symptoms. However, what happens to asymptomatic individuals who did not undergo any type of diagnostic test and who do not know if they were infected or not, and at what time they were infected. For this group there are rapid tests that detect the immune response of the individual. That is how diagnostic tests become vital tools, complementing the studies of clinical pictures and the active search for asymptomatic individuals who have already passed the peak of viral load. Initially, the quarantine controlled the number of infected, but the economic dynamics have forced the population to leave their homes, and this is why new strategies are currently needed to minimize the effects of SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, rapid tests would be a solution that would accelerate the identification and isolation of infected individuals, estimating the number of infections more accurately, allowing better decision-making and the development of public policies to counter the current pandemic. © Centro de Biotecnologia y Biomedicina, Clinical Biotec. Universidad Católica del Oriente (UCO), Univesidad Yachay Tech.