Graphical-mathematical model to estimate CO2 concentration level as an indicator of SARS-CoV-2 transmission

The first documented cases of Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan city (Hubei province, China) were caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), studies mention viral transmission is more common in indoor and poorly ventilated environments compared to outdoor environments or environments with abundant airflow. In this context, this research aimed to estimate, through a mathematical model by a Box-Behnken design, the time and occupancy required in a physical space to reach CO2 levels that exceed the risk level established as a safer condition of 700 ppm for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. According to the proposed mathematical model, it is possible to predict safe conditions. With this, it was found that natural ventilation is the best option to reduce CO2 concentration, considering the occupancy/m3 and time, allowing a constant airflow;the use of air conditioners to control the temperature in rooms without natural ventilation is suggested;notwithstanding, these types of equipment are not designed to reduce CO2 concentration. Thus, their use in rooms with open windows and doors leads to a shorter equipment lifetime, for this reason, its operation in special conditions, such as in rooms without natural ventilation should be considered

Strategy for the reactivation of tourism in Mexico;Evidence of the use of saliva pools for the detection of COVID-19 in a tourist resort

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in tourism activity. This has caused huge losses to the tourism industry, so different approaches have been devised for economic reactivation. This article aims to provide a novel strategy for mass molecular monitoring of clinically healthy individuals, and also including potentially asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2, who traveled to a tourist resort The monitoring consisted of collecting individual saliva samples (n=120) and conforming groups of 10 samples, thus setting 12 individual pools, which were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Obtained data showed that all the samples analyzed were negative, thus confirming that no individuals were infected with SARS-CoV-2 before and during the travel. The proposed molecular protocol allowed the analysis of massive saliva samples and detect individual infected persons (negative or positive). protocol for evaluate massive event, thus promoting the economic activation of the tourism industry.

Reality of allergists during the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina 2020

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic modified the way of practicing medicine, causing a changes in medical actions in the health professional and in their habits in relation to daily practices. Accelerated changes have taken place, which have led to the development and implementation of telemedicine as a very useful tool that allows professional contact with their patients, and on the other hand, access to up-to-date scientific training. Objetive: Evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activity of the allergist in Argentina during phase 1 of preventive and mandatory social isolation (april and may 2020). Determine the impact of the pandemic on allergic diseases. Analyze the use of telemedicine in daily practice. Method: It is a prospective, observational and cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was made to specialist doctors in Allergy and Immunology during april and may 2020 of preventive and compulsory social isolation, for subsequent statistical study. Results: 113 surveys were carried out, 72.9% showed a decrease in work practice by 50%, 20.7% between 25-50% and 6.3% less than 25%. The most frequent consultations were request for prescriptions in 67%, medical history certificates in 48%, rhinitis and urticaria in 46%, atopic dermatitis and asthma attack in 23%, and contact dermatitis in 5.3%. 94% implemented telemedicine, the most used tools were whatsapp/webcam (61%) followed by telephone assistance (38%). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic affected the practice of the specialty in terms of the decrease in medical consultation, the way of working, interacting with patients, the need for protective equipment, with an emotional and economic cost. On the other hand, it gave the possibility of having other care alternatives such as telemedicine.

Ex vivo treatment with fucoidan of mononuclear cells from SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.

COVID-19 is a worldwide health emergency, therapy for this disease is based on antiviral drugs and immunomodulators, however, there is no treatment to effectively reduce the COVID-19 mortality rate. Fucoidan is a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immune-enhancing properties, thus, fucoidan may be used as an alternative treatment (complementary to prescribed medical therapy) for the recovery of COVID-19.  This work aimed to determine the effects of ex-vivo treatment with fucoidan on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, necrosis, and senescence, besides functional parameters of calcium flux and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from SARS-CoV-2 infected, recovered and healthy subjects. Data suggest that fucoidan does not exert cytotoxicity or senescence, however, it induces the increment of intracellular calcium flux. Additionally, fucoidan promotes recovery of ΔΨm in PBMCs from COVID-19 recovered females. Data suggest that fucoidan could ameliorate the immune response in COVID-19 patients.

Cerebral Microvascular Injury in Severe COVID-19 (preprint)

IMPORTANCE: Microvascular lesions are common in patients with severe COVID-19. Radiologic-pathologic correlation in one case suggests a combination of microvascular hemorrhagic and ischemic lesions that may reflect an underlying hypoxic mechanism of injury, which requires validation in larger studies. OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence, distribution, and clinical and histopathologic correlates of microvascular lesions in patients with severe COVID-19. DESIGN: Observational, retrospective cohort study: March to May 2020. SETTING: Single academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive patients (16) admitted to the intensive care unit with severe COVID-19, undergoing brain MRI for evaluation of coma or focal neurologic deficits. EXPOSURES: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: Hypointense microvascular lesions identified by a prototype ultrafast high-resolution susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) MRI sequence, counted by two neuroradiologists and categorized by neuroanatomic location. Clinical and laboratory data (most recent measurements before brain MRI). Brain autopsy and cerebrospinal fluid PCR for SARS-CoV 2 in one patient who died from severe COVID-19. RESULTS: Eleven of 16 patients (69%) had punctate and linear SWI lesions in the subcortical and deep white matter, and eight patients (50%) had >10 SWI lesions. In 4/16 patients (25%), lesions involved the corpus callosum. Brain autopsy in one patient revealed that SWI lesions corresponded to widespread microvascular injury, characterized by perivascular and parenchymal petechial hemorrhages and microscopic ischemic lesions. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: SWI lesions are common in patients with neurological manifestations of severe COVID-19 (coma and focal neurologic deficits). The distribution of lesions is similar to that seen in patients with hypoxic respiratory failure, sepsis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Collectively, these radiologic and histopathologic findings suggest that patients with severe COVID-19 are at risk for multifocal microvascular hemorrhagic and ischemic lesions in the subcortical and deep white matter.

The COVID-19 pandemic from the multidisciplinary vision of 28 University Professors of Nayarit, Mexico

Abstract: This document is a paper of multidisciplinary academic opinion of 27 professors and researchers of the Autonomous University of Nayarit, Mexico. In the manuscript, the pandemic of the COVID-19 disease is approached from different perspectives, with the aim to approach this great problem that has paralyzed humanity in the beginning of the year 2020 in an interdisciplinary form (thus many of the research problems should be approached), on the other hand, with the aim to prove all the academic potential that Mexican public universities hold to respond to society. Professors of history, biology, medicine, biomedicine, nutrition, social sciences, law, psychology, economy, tourism, political sciences, education, communication media, engineering, technological innovation, and intellectual property take part in this paper. This document represents a groundbreaking exercise in the Autonomous University of Nayarit and performing multidisciplinary work is, perhaps, one of the major lesson and message that the pandemic of COVID-19 will leave us.