First isolation and characterization of the prototype strain of the SARSCoV-2 virus at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru

Introduction: Currently, isolated from SARS-CoV-2 virus exceed 600 million cases in the world. Objective(s): Isolation and characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic in Peru. Method(s): Twenty nasal and pharyngeal swab samples were isolated from SARS-CoV-2 using two cell lines, Vero ATCC CCL-81 and Vero E-6;virus identification was performed by RT-PCR and the onset of cytopathic effect (CPE) was evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence and subsequent identification by genomic sequencing. One of the most widely circulating isolates were selected and named the prototype strain (PE/B.1.1/28549/2020). Then 10 successive passages were performed on Vero ATCC CCL-81 cells to assess mutation dynamics. Result(s): Results detected 11 virus isolates by cytopathic effect, and subsequently confirmed by RT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescence. Of these, six were sequenced and identified as the lineages B.1, B.1.1, B.1.1.1, and B.1.205 according to the Pango lineage nomenclature. The prototype strain corresponded to lineage B.1.1. The analysis of the strains from the successive passages showed mutations mainly at in the spike (S) protein of the virus without variation in the identity of the lineage. Conclusion(s): Four lineages were isolated in the Vero ATCC CCL-81 cell line. Subcultures in the same cell line showed mutations in the spike protein indicating greater adaptability to the host cell and variation in pathogenicity in vitro, a behavior that allows it to have more survival success.Copyright © 2023 Anales de la Facultad de Medicina. All rights reserved.

Discourses of Disease: Representations of Cancer and Viral Infection in Contemporary China

Through a discussion of several recent novels by Hu Fayun, Bi Shumin, and Yan Lianke—including Hu's 2005 novel Such Is ThisWorld@SARS.come(Ruyan@SARS.come);Bi's 2003 novel Saving the Breast (Zhengjiu rufang) and her 2012 novel Coronavirus (Huaguan bingdu);and Yan's 1998 novel Streams of Time (Riguang liunian), his 2004 novel Lenin's Kisses (Shouhuo), and his 2006 novel Dream of Ding Village (Dingzhuang meng)—this article examines how these authors a set of disease-inspired metaphors to explore potential responses to the medical concerns in question. More specifically, the article argues that, in each of the works in question, the authors use a set of disease-inspired to propose a productive means by which society might respond to the threat posed by disease itself. © 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Calamities, Debt, and Growth in Developing Countries

Public debt in developing economies rose at a fast clip during 2020–2021, at least partly due to the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman opined in early 2021 that "fighting covid is like fighting a war.” This paper empirically examines trends in debt and economic growth around the onset of three types of calamities, namely natural disasters, armed conflicts, and external debt distress in developing countries. The estimations provide quantitative estimates of differences in GDP growth and debt trends in economies suffering episodes of calamities relative to the trends observed in economies not experiencing calamities. The paper finds that debt and growth evolve quite differently depending on the type of calamity. With the empirical evidence in hand, the authors argue that debt-financed reconstruction efforts after natural disasters, and thus plausibly in the aftermath of the pandemic, can help accelerate growth after such disasters with lower debt burden than in the aftermath of episodes of armed conflict without necessarily incurring the economic costs associated with episodes of debt restructuring. However, the implied upward trajectory of the debt to GDP ratio in developing economies is not trivial, even after post-disaster growth upticks, which raises concerns about long-term debt sustainability after episodes of reconstruction after natural disasters. If so, the time for orderly preemptive debt restructuring might be approaching quickly since recoveries after debt defaults tend to be more costly. © 2023, International Monetary Fund.

Black and White Swans: Pandemics, Prognostications, and Preparedness

This essay examines why communities around the world have tended to respond relatively poorly and belatedly to the Covid pandemic-despite the fact that the likelihood of this sort of infectious outbreak had been widely recognized by public health experts, and furthermore in early 2020 communities outside of China were, in effect, given an advance warning of the imminent threat of this particular outbreak before the virus began to spread globally. Drawing on Nassim Taleb's recent discussion of the sociopolitical significance of "black swan events, " this essay argues that the global Covid response is symptomatic of a more general difficulty in thinking probabilistically. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020.

Bachelor of science students' perception of online classes during COVID-19 pandemic. A look at the e-learning process in Chile

The arrival of covid-19 in Chile caused an enormous change in its education system, strict confinement measurements were taken by the government which obligated students to continue their studies from in-person classes to online classes. The purpose of this study is to reveal the Bachelor of Science students' perception of their online education prosses during 2020 and 2021 at the University Santo Tomás. A qualitative questionary of 32 questions was used to obtain and quantify the results. The results show that online education during pandemic times generated a range of factors such as stress, internet connection problems, access to technology and a lack of learning. © GKA Ediciones, authors.

Inequalities in Health Care Attention of Severely Malnourished Children in Remote and Conflicts Zones

Objectives: To analyze geographical and social inequalities in the process of health care of Moderate and Severely Malnourished Children under two years old in remote and Conflicts Zone. Method(s): An ambispective (retrospective and prospective) analysis of the geographical, social context and clinical information using mixed methods was developed. The retrospective information was extracted from clinical records of children diagnosed with moderate and severely malnourished and attended in nine remote territories and with conflict problems in Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic era in the period of 2020 and 2021. The prospective analysis was developed with interviews to health care professionals and mothers of children attended in 2021 and 2022 and external resources of epidemiological reports. Result(s): 357 clinical records of children diagnosed with acute moderate and severely malnourished were analyzed. 89% (320/357) of the population was located in the rural area, 76% of the children belong to indigenous ethnicity and 20% to afro-descendant, followed of migrants;more than a half of families have an income minor to 125 USD per month, on the other hand more than 500 newborns per month was attend at home. In the geographical analysis conflict and lack access roads were the most common circumstances identified as barrier to access to a specialized health care and factors relates with the food insecurity and clean water access. A high rotation of health care workers was also funded in that area. Conclusion(s): The circumstances of poverty and inequities in that zones were increased after covid-19 pandemic and have a big influence in the health and nutrition status of children and their families. This situation requires new models of health care based on community surveillance and empowerment of leaders as midwives who are present in those territories. These results also highlight the need of intersectoral work in those areas. Copyright © 2022

Virtualization of presential classes at the university

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought substantial changes in ways of life;and education as a fundamental part of cultural transformation has not been left out of the maelstrom of adaptations to new ways of life. The present work proposes the readjustment of the academic management of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the National University of Asunción (FCQ-UNA), through the creation of the Virtual Classroom 2020 as an integrating platform that allowed the continuity of the academic processes of the seven careers offered only in presence-based modality. For its proper execution, trainings have been carried out for teachers and students, which have been addressed with the objective of achieving digital skills in virtual teaching-learning environments. A survey of the teachers’ perceptions about the implemented mode was carried out, the results of which are presented in the paper, to report the effectiveness of the system for the achievement of the objectives. The results indicate a high satisfaction of the teachers about the implemented strategies, which have served to give a new, more dynamic, and open approach to their classes, both in theory and in laboratory practices and problem solving. © 2022 Facultad de Quimica, UNAM. All rights reserved.

Coffee Value Chain Cost Logistic Analysis in Chanchamayo Peru

Coffee is one of the three most consumed drinks and one of the most traded products globally. In 2019, it represented 9% of the total agricultural exports of Peru, ranking fourth with US$ 637 million. In addition, the coffee sector has been an essential source of income for more than 200 thousand Peruvian families, 34% of which have been in a situation of poverty or extreme poverty, aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, during the last years, the coffee industry in Peru has faced a severe crisis due to low international prices, the low productivity per hectare intensified by the plague in the 2014–2015 period, and the high logistic costs within its value chain. In general terms, the Peruvian logistics performance is very deficient and directly impacts the profitability of the coffee sector;for this reason, this research presents the more relevant components of logistics cost. This research identified the shipping from the farms to the storage facilities and then to the processing plants in Lima, and the post-harvesting treatment generates more than 88.68% of the total cost. Afterwards, we proposed scenarios to minimize the overall logistic costs. As a result, 2.10%, 2.71%, and 3.94% of improvement were obtained, impacting their profitability and the sector’s survival. The results show a logistics costs reduction from 25.24% to 15.76%. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Acute Neurological Inflammatory Diseases in Colombia: A Multi-center Observational Study from Zika outbreak to SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Objective: To evaluate clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological features of acute neuroinflammatory disorders (ANIDs) that followed the 2016 Zika epidemic in Colombia. Background: The outbreak of Zika virus infection in Colombia in 2015-2016, produced an increased incidence of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) and other ANID cases. The Neuroviruses Emerging in the Americas Study (NEAS) network was established in 2016 as a multicenter-based observatory of ANIDs to investigate the role of emerging pathogens in neuroinflammatory diseases. Design/Methods: NEAS serves as a multi-center study based on 13 hospitals in 7 cities in Colombia which study all newly diagnosed patients who fulfill established criteria for GBS, encephalitis, myelitis, meningoencephalitis, or cranial nerve disorders as part of an observational cohort. We analyzed the clinical and epidemiological features of all cases evaluated between January 2016 and September 2021. Results: An observational cohort of 825 patients with ANIDs were recruited during the study period. 58.8% of cases were male with a median age of 43 (IQR 25-58) years. The most frequent ANIDs were GBS (46.1%) and facial nerve palsy (28.7%). The diagnosis of encephalitis (9.5%), myelitis (6.5%), and optic neuritis (5.9%) were less frequent. Patients with GBS were predominantly male (70.6%) and had a median age of 49 (IQR 32-60) years. Interestingly, there was an increase incidence of GBS in 2019. Conclusions: The outbreak of Zika in Colombia produced a marked increase in the incidence of GBS in 2016. Although cases of GBS and other ANIDs continued to emerge after the incidence of Zika infection decreased in July 2016, the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has not produced any significant increase in the incidence of GBS in Colombia.

Medicalization of nursing facilities as a real alternative to hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Nursing homes are high-risk environments for the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, as they are a closed environment, with patients who present atypical manifestations of the disease, high risk of unfavorable evolution, and staff who frequently present a high mobility in relation to their jobs. On the other hand, in a pandemic situation, numerous hospitals have suffered periods of great healthcare pressure. The objective of this work was to present an experience of medicalization of a residence where almost 50% of the residents contracted the disease.

Switching Logistic Maps to Design Cycling Approaches Against Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to global health, in particular, new SARS-CoV-2 variants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scheduling cycling therapies by targeting phenotypic states associated with specific mutations can help us to eradicate pathogenic variants. In this paper, we introduce a logistic switching model to mutation networks of collateral resistance. We found conditions for which the unstable zero-equilibrium of the logistic maps can be stabilized through a switching signal. That is, persistent populations can be eradicated through tailored switching regimes. Starting from an optimal-control formulation, the switching policies show their potential in the stabilization of the zero-equilibrium for dynamics governed by logistic maps. Simulation results show the applicability of Parrondo's Paradox to design cycling therapies against drug resistance.

Communicative approach as a didactic strategy to improve English oral expression in times of pandemic

Introduction: Oral communication is the most important skill in learning a foreign language. The conventional English teaching method that is applied at different educational levels based on grammar and writing, does not allow the development of communication skills necessary for the Covid-19 pandemic. Communication is the process through which ideas are sent and received. In this sense, the communicative approach takes on a special importance that communication is the ba-sis of the teaching-learning process. Method: The research approach was quantitative with a descriptive scope. Results. The investigation found that the oral expression strategies met 58.2% of conditions at the beginning, 37.8% presented the process level and 4.1% presented the achieved level. The strategies carried out to improve pronunciation were found at 33.7% in initial conditions, 60.2% were present at the level in the process and 6.1% at the achieved level. In the strategies for improving fluidity, 42.9% presented at the beginning level, 44.9% presented at the process level and 12.2% presented at the achieved level and while the strategies for vocabulary improvement were found at 33.7% of conditions at the beginning, 50% present the level in process and the 16.3% present the level achieved.

Trends in household energy-related GHG emissions during COVID-19 in four Chilean cities

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has strongly affected economies and human lifestyles globally. The changes observed in domestic energy consumption patterns have had an impact on household greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since GHG emissions inventories are only available at the country level and at annual intervals, most studies have calculated the local emission variations by extrapolating annual emissions with smaller time and territorial scale consumption data. This research presents a bottom-up method, based on the exploitation of a survey addressed to 1200 households, that provides the information to calculate directly the variation in their energy-related GHG emissions, without the need for extrapolations. This method has been applied to four medium-sized Chilean cities with serious air quality problems. Given the high correlation between atmospheric pollutants such as NOx and CO2 emissions, we estimate that before the appearance of COVID-19, per capita CO2 emissions were already high. The results show that space heating-related GHG emissions have increased moderately (between 1 and 6%), while emissions from electricity and gas consumption for non-heating uses have increased significantly (between 8 and 23%). This has harmed the household economy, highlighting the importance of considering socioeconomic aspects when assessing the impact of COVID-19 in its entirety. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Ocular Fatigue Syndrome and academic stress in nursing students during confinement due to COVID-19

Objective: To determine the relationship of Computer Visual Syndrome with academic stress in nursing students during confinement by COVID-19. Methods: descriptive, relational, cross-sectional study;whose non-probabilistic sample was 119 nursing students from Amazonas, Peru;The survey technique was used and two instruments were applied through the Google form, the 16-item Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire (CVS-Q), (sensitivity and specificity is greater than 70%) and the SISCO SV academic stress questionnaire of 47 items (Aiken V concordance coefficient greater than 0.75), during the months of November to December 2020. The data were processed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program version 25, from which the descriptive statistics were obtained and the nonparametric Chi Square statistical test. Conclusions: Visual Computer Syndrome is not significantly related to academic stress in nursing students during confinement by COVID-19. However, it is necessary to implement improvement measures in the teaching-learning process by increasing asynchronous hours.

Epidemiological, preventive and healthcare-related knowledge about covid-19 in dental students from three peruvian universities

Introduction: The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has become a source of concern for dental students in recent years, as long as they are exposed to an increased risk of infection due to close contact with patients. Objective: To determine the level of epidemiological, preventive and healthcare-related knowledge about COVID-19 in dental students during their last academic year from three Peruvian universities. Methods: Descriptive, analytical and cross-sectional study, whose sample consisted of 219 dental students in their last academic year from Federico Villarreal National University, Peruvian Wings University and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega University in Lima, Peru. The instrument was a questionnaire of twenty closed questions on epidemiological, preventive and healthcare knowledge about COVID-19. The results were classified in three levels: low, medium and high. Central tendency measures and the ANOVA test with Tukey's adjustment test were performed for independent pairwise comparisons. In addition, the Spearman correlation test was applied to control the confounding variables (gender and age). Results: The students, in general, presented epidemiological (high), preventive (low) and healthcare (medium) knowledge, accounting for 86.3%, 53.4% and 63.5%, respectively. The global average score was 14.80±1.98. The students from Federico Villarreal National University presented significantly lower scores than the students from Inca Garcilaso de la Vega University (P≤0.001) and Peruvian Wings University (P=0.002). Conclusion: Knowledge deficiencies were found regarding preventive and care measures for COVID-19 control;therefore, it is important to train dental students with constant educational sessions and training programs on infection control practices regarding COVID-19. © 2021, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.

Updated Analysis Confirms Sustained Poor Prognosis of COVID-19 in Patients with Lymphoma in Latin America: A Cohort of 160 Patients from Gell

Updated analysis confirms sustained poor prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with lymphoma in Latin America: A cohort of 160 patients from GELL. Introduction: Ongoing SARS-COV-2 pandemic has impacted the management of cancer patients worldwide. Several reports have demonstrated inferior outcomes of patients with hematological malignancies, including higher rates of intensive care unit admission, need for mechanical ventilation and death. The impact of COVID-19 is profound in resource-restricted countries, including Latin America. Most cohorts reported have not included patients from Latin America, and there is paucity of data of the outcome of cancer patients with COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries. Grupo de Estudio De Linfoproliferativos En Latino-America (GELL )is a collaborative network of hematological centers in 13 countries in Latin America. We report updated outcomes of lymphoma patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Latin America. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including patients with a diagnosis of lymphoma and COVID-19 infection. Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma were excluded from the analysis We defined active disease as follow: (1) patients with detectable disease either prior to initiating therapy or upon relapse, and/or (2) patients undergoing active cancer treatment. The primary outcome was overall survival at 100 days. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan Meier method. Uni and multivariable analysis were carried out with Cox model. Results: A total of 160 patients were available for analysis. Median age was 60 years old. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (33%). Most patients had aggressive lymphomas (62%), including 43% of patients with diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Follicular lymphomas were observed in 13% of patients and Hodgkin lymphoma in 12.5% of patients. With a median follow-up of 37 days, the 100-day OS was 64% (95CI 56-74%, fig. 1). In univariate analysis, age (HR 1.03, p=0.0025), hypertension (HR 2.01, p=0.017), >1 number of prior lines (HR 2.78, p=0.011), patients currently on treatment (HR 1.83, p=0.043), ferritin >2000 ng/mL (HR 4.74 p=0.00047) were associated with inferior OS. In multivariate analysis, age (HR 1.03, p=0.0026) and patients currently on treatment (HR 1.82, p=0.04) had inferior OS. There was a trend towards inferior outcomes in patients receiving monoclonal antibodies in univariate analysis (HR 1.82, p=0.081) but not in multivariable analysis (HR=1.29, p=0.48). Use of steroids was not statistically related to mortality (HR 1.79, p=0.074). Finally, contrary to other cohorts, no improvement in OS was observed in patients diagnosed later on the pandemic (fig. 2). Conclusion: In this large cohort of Latin American patients with lymphoma malignancies, our updated analysis showed a maintained dismal prognosis with COVID-19 infection. With a median follow up of 37 days, the 100-day OS was 64%. Older age and ongoing active cancer treatment were significantly associated with mortality. The use of monoclonal antibodies and systemic corticosteroids were not statistically associated to poor survival. Current efforts are focused on improving immunization in the Latin American population. There is an unmet need for improving survival in patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19 infection. [Formula presented] Disclosures: Perini: Janssen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau;Takeda: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau;Astra Zeneca: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau;MSD: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Otero: ASTRA ZENECA: Current Employment. Abello: Dr Reddy's: Research Funding;Amgen: Honoraria;Janssen: Honoraria. Castillo: Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding;BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding;Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding;Janssen: Consultancy;Roche: Consultancy;TG Therapeutics: Research Funding.

On-Line Project-Based Learning on Healthcare Technologies Against Epidemic Diseases: A COVID-19 Case Study

Quality technical education on healthcare technologies is still inaccessible to young adults in low-resource settings due to high costs, low-tech environments, and gaps in learning materials. The online and open-source collaborative Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology intends to introduce early-career engineers into the development of healthcare technologies by allowing students from all around the world, regardless of background or place of origin, to engage in collaborative design methods, the use of open-source resources and learning experiences from experts in the field. This paper discusses a case study in which the aforementioned methodology was implemented, the "COVID-19 Innovation Competition and Design Bootcamp 2020", which brought together 105 participants from 22 countries, mostly in Africa, to conceptualize the design of 10 medical devices in two weeks for an integral management of the COVID-19 pandemic that is applicable to other infectious disease outbreaks. The presented experience demonstrates that highly formative virtual PBL experiences can be carried out, in a cost-effective way and in connection with real societal needs, for which remarkable solutions can be found, by virtue of multidisciplinary and international cooperation. Our findings demonstrate that even if it is difficult to reach the degree of project completion achievable with longer-term and on-site design-build experiences, on-line PBL has been shown to promote students' professional skills in an effective way.