INTERACTIONS OF AEROSOL DROPLETS WITH VENTILATED AIRFLOWS IN THE CONTEXT OF AIRBORNE PATHOGEN TRANSMISSION

This multidisciplinary study provides a comprehensive visualization of airborne aerosols and droplets coming into contact with crossflows of moving air utilizing both experimental particle measuring methods and multiphase computational fluids dynamics (CFD). The aim of this research is to provide a Eulerian visualization of how these crossflows alter the position and density of an aerosol cloud, with the goal of applying this information to our understanding of social distancing ranges within outdoor settings and ventilated rooms. The results indicate that even minor perpendicular crossflows across the trajectory of an aerosol cloud can greatly reduce both the linear displacement and density of the cloud, with negligible increases in density along the flow path. © 2022 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). All rights reserved.

On to Quantifying the Effect of Droplet Size Distribution on the Airborne Transmission of the Virus

This research will study a novel aspect of the physics of COVID-19 transmission associated with actively altering droplet size distribution. Viruses can be transmitted through droplets and aerosols released during speaking, sneezing, and coughing phenomena. We previously found that these distributions can be altered using food ingredients. The study will be carried out to study the hypothesis of relaxed guidance in social distancing and mask usage is possible with the proposed approach using CFD models of human sneezes. The adult human is positioned inside a ventilated room condition and the droplet/aerosols are to be released to explore the impacts of the various distributions that relate to how the food ingredients vary the function, hence, the size of the droplets will be the function of the use of food ingredients. Results study the concentration of droplet particles at various distances away from the mouth, also called exposure maps and indicate that Corn Starch and Xanthum usage increase the exposure intensity level, while Xanthum reducing the exposure area implies that social distancing can be reduced with its use. In contrast, the use of Lozenge and Zingiber reduces the exposure level, related to the increase in the viscosity and reduction of the mass flow rate of saliva. Copyright © 2022 by ASME.

Upper airways: association between olfactory training and quality of life in patients with impaired sense of taste and smell following COVID-19

Background: Loss of the sense of taste and smell occurs in 65-88% of patients infected with corona virus. In contrast to previous post-viral olfactory loss, it is often younger patients with milder symptoms of COVID-19, who experience chemosensory dysfunction. The duration of the impaired sense of taste and smell ranges from a few days to weeks after the end of the infection. Moreover, 20-28% of the patients have persistent impaired sense of taste and smell, which is also a frequently reported sequelae after infection with COVID-19. Previous studies show that loss of the sense of taste and smell is associated with a decline in quality of life. Olfactory training has been shown to be effective in other patient groups, while in olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 there is not yet evidence on the long term effect of olfactory training and whether it can improve quality of life. Aim: The primary aim is to investigate whether systematic olfactory training with essential oils to improve impaired sense of taste and smell following COVID-19 can improve patients' quality of life. The secondary aim is to investigate the effect of olfactory training. Method: Patients with anosmia or hyposmia following COVID-19 will be randomized to the intervention or control group. The intervention group received essential oils with scents of orange, lavender, clove, and peppermint. The control group received the four same containers, but with fragrance-free oils. Both groups will be instructed to do olfactory training with each of the oils for 30 s in the morning and evening for 3 months. Subjective olfactory status and quality of life will be evaluated with Taste and Smell Tool for Evaluation at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. The effect of olfactory training will be evaluated with Sniffin' Sticks. Results and Conclusion: The study has not yet been completed.

IMPACTS OF THE IMMIGRATION CORRIDOR ON PERUVIAN AND CHILEAN CITIES URBAN TRANSFORMATIONS DURING THE PANDEMIC

The eviction of migrants from Plaza Brasil, in the city of Iquique, an act that was questioned due to the violence used by public forces. revealed not just the humanitarian problem involved, but also a turning point in attempts to normalize a process where cities have been altered by the exodus of migrants. This study looks into the impacts generated by the successive stages of migration within the Venezuelan migratory flow, one characterized by the great vulnerability of these migrants. Since the start of 2020. amid a health crisis and border closures, they have entered Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. Bolivia. and Chile by land using unauthorized crossings, to find better living conditions in these destinations. Here, the approaches which connect flows and transformations as responses to reproduction factors of global society, with those that conceive mobility as a "creative force" that interacts autonomously with these structures, are discussed. To this end, mobility in the historical centers of three cities located in border transit and entry zones to each country, where the interrelation in public space has been transformed and stressed, is explored, namely Piura, in Peru, and Iquique and Antofagasta in Chile. The results show similarities in the dynamics and transformations generated. Given the vulnerable condition of migrants, there is an increase in the occupation of public space, through autonomous actions of self-management and organization, as well as local resistance, demonstrating the relevance of mobility in modern society. All-in-all, it is recommended to adopt a differentiated agenda to understand the connection between migrants and places during the mobility experience.

SARS-CoV-2 Related Ischemic Colitis in an Adolescent With Trisomy 21: Diagnostic Pitfalls and Considerations.

Millions of patients seek medical attention for diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain. In the current environment, it is important to recognize that these symptoms may be the only manifestation or may precede more serious systemic complications of COVID-19. Herein, we describe the first case of ischemic colitis (IC) in a young adult who presented with diarrhea and highlight the laboratory pitfalls for patients with COVID-19 presenting with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

Bilingualism and COVID-19: using a second language during a health crisis

Background: It is probable that billions of people have received information about COVID-19 in their second-acquired language (i.e. L2), given the global breadth of both bilingualism and the novel coronavirus. The use of an L2 could have relevance to a massive disease outbreak because L2 use influences the psychological processing of health information. Method: We conducted a search of the literature on the psychological effects of processing information in an L2. We included studies that examined how spoken and written processing of health- and disease-related information in an L2 influences (a) fear and anxiety, as indexed by physiological measures of emotional arousal, (b) decision-making, as measured by susceptibility to cognitive biases, and (c) language comprehension, as indexed by understanding complex information. In reviewing this literature, we engage in the thought experiment of contemplating what consequences these findings could have for a massive disease outbreak, such as COVID-19. Results: The research indicates that using an L2 decreases fear and anxiety (and thus could reduce the emotional response to a disease outbreak), increases rational decision-making (and thus could minimize disease-related cognitive biases), and decreases language comprehension (and thus could lower compliance to disease outbreak mitigation measures). Conclusions: When a bilingual listens to or reads information in their L2, it reliably affects their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in ways that are relevant to a health crisis. Health communication specialists therefore should take into account the mental effects of using a second language. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.