Risk Factors for COVID-19: A Systematic Mapping Study.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has affected people in several countries around the world. They experience respiratory symptoms that can be mild, moderate, or severe. Several reviews that characterize the risk factors of COVID-19 have been performed, but most address only risk factors associated with medical conditions, ignoring environmental and sociodemographic-socioeconomic factors. OBJECTIVE: This study aims at characterizing different risk factors in the published literature that influence contagion by COVID-19. METHODS: The review consists of three stages, including a systematic mapping with studies found in the Scopus database, an analysis of results, and finally the identification of relevant COVID-19 risk factors. RESULTS: A map of studies id provided considering two main groups: the type of research and context. Most studies consider risk factors associated with medical conditions, while research on other factors is scarce. CONCLUSIONS: Medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and factors such as age and sex, appear to be the ones that increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. Further research is needed on environmental, sociodemographic, and socioeconomic risk factors.

Comportamiento delictivo en Medellín en tiempos de pandemia, un modelo espaciotemporal

Este artículo buscó identificar el efecto que tuvo la implementación del aislamiento social preventivo obligatorio en las dinámicas de seguridad y convivencia de Medellín, Colombia. Por medio de un modelo de series de tiempo estructural bayesiano, se calculó el peso que tuvo esta medida preventiva en la variación de los indicadores: homicidios, desplazamiento forzado intraurbano, hurto a personas, hurto de motos, hurto de carros, delitos sexuales, violencia intrafamiliar, riñas y lesiones personales. Los resultados mostraron que tuvo un impacto directo y significativo sobre el comportamiento de los indicadores considerados;se registraron aumentos entre el 9,8 y el 173% y disminuciones entre el 22,9 y el 85%, en comparación con las proyecciones realizadas para un escenario sin esta medida.Alternate abstract:This paper aimed to identify the effect that the implementation of preventive mandatory social isolation had on the dynamics of security and coexistence in Medellín, Colombia. Using a Bayesian structural time-series model, the weight of this preventive measure in the variation of the indicators was calculated: homicides, forced intra-urban displacement, robbery, motorcycles theft, car theft, sexual crimes, family violence, fights, and personal injuries. The results showed this measure had a direct and significant impact on the behavior of the indicators considered;there were increases between 9.8% and 173%, and decreases between 22.9% and 85%, compared to the projections without this measure.Alternate abstract:Este artigo busca identificar o efeito que a implementaçao do isolamento social preventivo obrigatório -ASPO (em espanhol)- teve sobre a dinámica da segurança e da convivencia em Medellín (Colombia). Utilizando um modelo de séries temporais estruturais bayesianas, foi calculado o efeito do ASPO na variaçao dos indicadores: homicídios, deslocamento intra-urbano forçado, furto de pessoas, motocicletas e automóveis, crimes sexuais, violencia doméstica, brigas e lesoes corporais. Os resultados mostraram que o ASPO teve um impacto direto e significativo no comportamento dos indicadores considerados, registrando aumentos entre 9,8% e 173% e diminuiçoes entre 22,9% e 85% em relaçao ás projeçoes feitas para uma etapa sem ASPO.

Novel expandable architected breathing tube for improving airway securement in emergency care.

Life-saving interventions utilize endotracheal intubation to secure a patient's airway, but performance of the clinical standard of care endotracheal tube (ETT) is inadequate. For instance, in the current COVID-19 crisis, patients can expect prolonged intubation. This protracted intubation may produce health complications such as tracheal stenosis, pneumonia, and necrosis of tracheal tissue, as current ETTs are not designed for extended use. In this work, we propose an improved ETT design that seeks to overcome these limitations by utilizing unique geometries which enable a novel expanding cylinder. The mechanism provides a better distribution of the contact forces between the ETT and the trachea, which should enhance patient tolerability. Results show that at full expansion, our new ETT exerts pressures in a silicone tracheal phantom well within the recommended standard of care. Also, preliminary manikin tests demonstrated that the new ETT can deliver similar performance in terms of air pressure and air volume when compared with the current gold standard ETT. The potential benefits of this new architected ETT are threefold, by limiting exposure of healthcare providers to patient pathogens through streamlining the intubation process, reducing downstream complications, and eliminating the need of multiple size ETT as one architected ETT fits all.