Continued increases in the incidence of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) during the second year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Data from the National Healthcare Safety Network were analyzed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) during 2021. Standardized infection ratios were significantly higher than those during the prepandemic period, particularly during 2021-Q1 and 2021-Q3. The incidence of HAI was elevated during periods of high COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Novel clinical and immunological features associated with persistent post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 after six months of follow-up: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is scant information regarding the features associated to the persistence of post-COVID-19 syndrome, which is the main aim of the present study. METHODS: A cohort study of 102 COVID-19 patients was conducted. The post-COVID-19 symptoms were assessed by a standardised questionnaire. Lymphocyte immunophenotyping was performed by flow cytometry and chemokines/cytokines, neutrophil extracellular traps, the tripartite motif 63, anti-cellular, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were addressed in serum. The primary outcome was the persistence of post-COVID-19 syndrome after six months follow-up. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (12.7%) developed the primary outcome and had a more frequent history of post-COVID-19 syndrome 3 months after infection onset (p = .044), increased levels of IL-1α (p = .011) and IP-10 (p = .037) and increased CD57 expression in CD8+ T cells (p = .003). There was a trend towards higher levels of IFN-γ (p = .051), IL-1ß (p = .062) and IL-6 (p = .087). The history of post COVID-19 in the previous 3 months, obesity, baseline serum MIP-1α and IP-10, and CD57 expression in CD8+ T cells were independently associated with the persistence of post-COVID-19 syndrome. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest an important relationship between a pro-inflammatory state mediated through metabolic pathways related to obesity and increased cellular senescence as a key element in the persistence of post-COVID-19 syndrome at six months of follow-up.

Quality of Life and Persistence of Symptoms in Outpatients after Recovery from COVID-19.

Background and Objectives: Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 can have persistent symptoms after acute illness, which affects their quality of life (QoL). Research and data about this topic in Latin American ambulatory patients are scarce. Materials and Methods: We conducted an observational, prospective, transversal, and analytical study. To measure QoL, we used a validated Spanish version of the MOS/RAND 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Results: We included 206 outpatients in the study. A total of 73.3% patients had persistence of one or more symptoms. The most frequent persistent symptoms were fatigue (36.9%), anxiety (26.2%), and headache (24.8%). No statistically significant difference in the SF-36 QoL scores and the frequency of persistent COVID-19 symptoms was found when comparing the ≤5 and >5 months groups, except for myalgia, which was less frequently observed in the >5 months group after COVID-19 (26.2% vs. 14.1%, p < 0.038). Female gender was associated with an increased risk of persistence of symptoms (OR = 2.95, 95% CI 1.56−5.57). Having comorbidities/sequelae attributed to COVID-19 and persistence of COVID-19 symptoms were associated risk factors for poor physical component summary (PCS); on the other hand, female gender, anxiety, and depression were associated with poor mental component summary (MCS). Conclusion: Most outpatients had persistent COVID-19 symptoms after infection. Persistence of symptoms was associated with poor MCS and PCS. It is important to follow-up not only patients discharged from the hospital after SARS-CoV-2 infection, but also those under ambulatory management to provide them with rehabilitation and psychological therapy to improve their QoL.

Analysis of Profiles of Family Educational Situations during COVID-19 Lockdown in the Valencian Community (Spain)

Due to the pandemic (COVID-19), the education system in Spain was forced to close for three months, creating an unprecedented situation: improvised distance schooling. Family characteristics and their life situations with Information and Communication Technology use would be aspects to be studied as educational conditioning factors. This paper presents the ways in which a representative sample of families in the Valencian Community (Spain) assumed the education of their children during the lockdown. Mixed methods (quantitative -surveys-/qualitative -focus groups-) are used. Multivariate profiles are studied (k-means cluster) that summarise the life circumstances, represented by composite indicators resulting from the families' responses to specific items describing their way of life and educational performance. Associated variables, such as demographic or life situation characteristics, are analyzed for each profile. Some gaps (described by indicators that synthesize the functioning of the families) are observed due to life circumstances that correspond not only to vulnerable groups but also to upper-middle-level families.

Accuracy of quality of life questionnaire as a diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary sequelae.

Background: Follow-up after hospital discharge of SARS-CoV-2 survivors represents a huge burden on the healthcare system. We attempt to assess the utility of symptoms and health-related quality of life questionnaire (SF-12) to identify SARS CoV2 pulmonary sequelae. Methods: Prospective, non-interventional follow-up study. A cardiopulmonary exercise test, functional respiratory test (PFT), SF12 questionnaire were performed after hospitalization at six months after the first positive PCR smear. Results: 41 patients were included, female (39%), mean age 57.3 ± 13.7 years. 70% persisted with symptoms. 46% presented a maximum oxygen consumption below 80% of predicted. SF-12 physical domain score was significantly reduced in patients with altered PFT (32.7 vs. 45.9; p < 0.001) and obtained the best sensitivity and specificity to identify PFT alterations (AUC 0.862, Sensitivity 85.7%, Specificity 81.5%). Conclusions: SF-12 questionnaire shows high sensitivity and specificity to detect SARS CoV2 survivors with pulmonary function alterations.

Antecedentes y objetivos: El seguimiento tras el alta hospitalaria de los supervivientes de SARS-CoV-2 representa una enorme carga para el sistema sanitario. Intentamos evaluar la utilidad de los síntomas y el cuestionario de calidad de vida (SF-12) para identificar los pacientes con secuelas pulmonares por SARS-CoV-2. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de seguimiento prospectivo observacional. Después de la hospitalización, a los 6 meses del primer frotis con PCR positiva se realizaron: una prueba de esfuerzo cardiopulmonar, pruebas funcionales respiratorias (PFR) y se aplicó el cuestionario SF-12. Resultados: Se incluyó a 41 pacientes, el 39% eran mujeres, con una edad media de 57,3 ± 13,7 años. El 70% persistía con síntomas. El 46% presentó un consumo máximo de oxígeno por debajo del 80% del predicho. La puntuación del dominio físico del SF-12 fue significativamente más baja en pacientes con PFR alteradas (32,7 vs. 45,9; p < 0,001) y obtuvo la mejor sensibilidad y especificidad para identificar las alteraciones de las PFR (AUC 0,862; sensibilidad 85,7% y especificidad 81,5%). Conclusiones: El cuestionario de calidad de vida SF-12 presenta una alta sensibilidad y especificidad para detectar a los sobrevivientes de SARS-CoV-2 con alteraciones de la función pulmonar.

Accuracy of quality of life questionnaire as a diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary sequelae Cuestionario de salud SF-12 como herramienta diagnóstica de secuelas pulmonares por SARS-CoV-2

Background Follow-up after hospital discharge of SARS-CoV-2 survivors represents a huge burden on the healthcare system. We attempt to assess the utility of symptoms and health-related quality of life questionnaire (SF-12) to identify SARS CoV2 pulmonary sequelae. Methods Prospective, non-interventional follow-up study. A cardiopulmonary exercise test, functional respiratory test (PFT), SF12 questionnaire were performed after hospitalization at six months after the first positive PCR smear. Results 41 patients were included, female (39%), mean age 57.3 ± 13.7 years. 70% persisted with symptoms. 46% presented a maximum oxygen consumption below 80% of predicted. SF-12 physical domain score was significantly reduced in patients with altered PFT (32.7 vs. 45.9;p < 0.001) and obtained the best sensitivity and specificity to identify PFT alterations (AUC 0.862, Sensitivity 85.7%, Specificity 81.5%). Conclusions SF-12 questionnaire shows high sensitivity and specificity to detect SARS CoV2 survivors with pulmonary function alterations.

Clinical and immunological features associated to the development of a sustained immune humoral response in COVID-19 patients: Results from a cohort study.

Background: Until now, most of the research addressing long-term humoral responses in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had only evaluated the serum titers of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) IgGs, without the assessment of the baseline antiviral clinical and immune profile, which is the aim of this study and may be the key factor leading to a broad and sustained antibody response. Methods: We included 103 patients with COVID-19. When the patients sought medical attention (baseline), a blood sample was drawn to perform immunophenotype of lymphocytes by flow cytometry. The patients were assessed 15 days after baseline and then every month until the third month, followed by a last visit 6 months after recruitment. We evaluated the anti-SARS-COV-2 IgG at all time points, and the serum levels of cytokines, chemokines, anti-cellular (AC) antibodies and neutrophil extracellular traps were also assessed during the follow-up. The primary outcome of the study was the presence of a sustained immune humoral response, defined as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titer >4.99 arbitrary units/mL in at least two consecutive measures. We used generalized lineal models to assess the features associated with this outcome and to assess the effect of the changes in the cytokines and chemokines throughout time on the development of a sustained humoral immune response. Results: At baseline the features associated to a sustained immune humoral response were the diagnosis of critical disease, absolute number of lymphocytes, serum IP-10, IL-4, IL-2, regulatory T cells, CD8+ T cells, and positive AC antibodies. Critical illness and the positivity of AC antibodies were associated with a sustained humoral immune response after 3 months, whilst critical illness and serum IL-13 were the explanatory variables after 6 months. Conclusion: A sustained immune humoral response is strongly related to critical COVID-19, which is characterized by the presence of AC antibodies, quantitative abnormalities in the T cell compartment, and the serum cytokines and chemokines during acute infection and throughout time.

Lung transplantation from controlled donation after circulatory death using simultaneous abdominal normothermic regional perfusion: A single center experience.

Despite the benefits of abdominal normothermic regional perfusion (A-NRP) for abdominal grafts in controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD), there is limited information on the effect of A-NRP on the quality of the cDCD lungs. We aimed to study the effect of A-NRP in lungs obtained from cDCD and its impact on recipients´ outcomes. This is a study comparing outcomes of lung transplants (LT) from cDCD donors (September 2014 to December 2021) obtained using A-NRP as the abdominal preservation method. As controls, all lung recipients transplanted from donors after brain death (DBD) were considered. The primary outcomes were lung recipient 3-month, 1-year, and 5-year survival. A total of 269 LT were performed (60 cDCD and 209 DBD). There was no difference in survival at 3 months (98.3% cDCD vs. 93.7% DBD), 1 year (90.9% vs. 87.2%), and 5 years (68.7% vs. 69%). LT from the cDCD group had a higher rate of primary graft dysfunction grade 3 at 72 h (10% vs. 3.4%; p <  .001). This is the largest experience ever reported with the use of A-NRP combined with lung retrieval in cDCD donors. This combined method is safe for lung grafts presenting short-term survival outcomes equivalent to those transplanted through DBD.

Accuracy of quality of life questionnaire as a diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary sequelae.

BACKGROUND: Follow-up after hospital discharge of SARS-CoV-2 survivors represents a huge burden on the healthcare system. We attempt to assess the utility of symptoms and health-related quality of life questionnaire (SF-12) to identify SARS CoV2 pulmonary sequelae. METHODS: Prospective, non-interventional follow-up study. A cardiopulmonary exercise test, functional respiratory test (PFT), SF12 questionnaire were performed after hospitalization at six months after the first positive PCR smear. RESULTS: 41 patients were included, female (39%), mean age 57.3±13.7 years. 70% persisted with symptoms. 46% presented a maximum oxygen consumption below 80% of predicted. SF-12 physical domain score was significantly reduced in patients with altered PFT (32.7 vs. 45.9; p<0.001) and obtained the best sensitivity and specificity to identify PFT alterations (AUC 0.862, Sensitivity 85.7%, Specificity 81.5%). CONCLUSIONS: SF-12 questionnaire shows high sensitivity and specificity to detect SARS CoV2 survivors with pulmonary function alterations.

“Cuestionario de Salud SF-12 como herramienta diagnóstica de secuelas pulmonares por SARS-CoV-2” “Accuracy of quality of life questionnaire as a diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary sequelae”

Antecedentes y objetivos: El seguimiento tras el alta hospitalaria de los supervivientes de SARS-CoV-2 representa una enorme carga para el sistema sanitario. Intentamos evaluar la utilidad de los síntomas y el cuestionario de calidad de vida (SF-12) para identificar los pacientes con secuelas pulmonares por SARS-Co-V2. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de seguimiento prospectivo observacional. Se realizaron después de la hospitalización a los seis meses del primer frotis con PCR positiva: una prueba de esfuerzo cardiopulmonar, pruebas funcionales respiratorias (PFR), y el cuestionario SF-12. Resultados: Se incluyeron 41 pacientes, mujeres (39%), edad media 57.3 ± 13.7 años. El 70% persistía con síntomas. El 46% presentó un consumo máximo de oxígeno por debajo del 80% del predicho. La puntuación del dominio físico del SF-12 se redujo significativamente en pacientes con PFR alteradas (32.7 Vs 45.9;P< 0.001) y obtuvo la mejor sensibilidad y especificidad para identificar alteraciones de las PFR (AUC 0.862, Sensibilidad 85.7%, Especificidad 81.5%) Conclusiones: El cuestionario de calidad de vida SF-12 presenta una alta sensibilidad y especificidad para detectar los sobrevivientes de SARS-CoV-2 con alteraciones de la función pulmonar

Colchicine Is Safe Though Ineffective in the Treatment of Severe COVID-19: a Randomized Clinical Trial (COLCHIVID).

BACKGROUND: Colchicine is an available, safe, and effective anti-inflammatory drug and has been suggested as a COVID-19 treatment, but its usefulness in hospitalized severe COVID-19 patients has not been thoroughly demonstrated. OBJECTIVE: To address the safety and efficacy of colchicine in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. DESIGN: We conducted a triple-blind parallel non-stratified placebo-controlled clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited 116 hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 in Mexico. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive 1.5 mg of colchicine or placebo at the time of the recruitment in the study (baseline) and 0.5 mg BID PO to complete 10 days of treatment. MAIN MEASURES: The primary composite outcome was the progression to critical disease or death. Besides, we evaluated immunological features at baseline and after recovery or disease progression in 20 patients. KEY RESULTS: Fifty-six patients were allocated to colchicine and 60 patients received placebo. The study was suspended after the second interim analysis demonstrated colchicine had no effect on the primary outcome (OR 0.83, 95%CI 0.35-1.93, P = 0.67), nor in the days of ICU and hospital stays. Adverse events were similar between groups (OR 1.63, 95% CI 0.66-3.88, P = 0.37). After colchicine treatment, patients had higher BUN and lower serum levels of IL-8, IL-12p70, and IL-17A. CONCLUSIONS: Colchicine is safe but not effective in the treatment of severe COVID-19. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04367168.

RECOMENDACIONES PARA EL USO DE OXÍGENO Y SUS DISPOSITIVOS BÁSICOS Y AVANZADOS: RACIONALIDAD Y SEGURIDAD EN TIEMPOS DE PANDEMIA POR SARS CoV2 EN COLOMBIA RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF OXYGEN AND ITS BASIC AND ADVANCED SUPPLY DEVICES: RATIONALITY AND SAFETY IN TIMES OF SARS CoV2 PANDEMIC IN COLOMBIA

En medio de la pandemia de COVID-19, y ante la inminencia de desabastecimiento de oxígeno en Colombia, la red de Gestión y Transferencia de Conocimiento, integrada por 19 sociedades científicas, instituciones de salud y universidades, genera una actualización al documento liderado por la Asociación Colombiana de Medicina Critica e incluye nuevos lineamientos informados en evidencia para el manejo racional de la oxigenoterapia, así como los dispositivos básicos y avanzados para la oxigenoterapia. Las recomendaciones se refieren a: uso racional de oxígeno orientado por metas, estandarización del seguimiento y ajuste de dosis, uso adecuado de los dispositivos de oxigenoterapia, uso racional de ventilación mecánica invasiva, y uso racional de la terapia con membrana de oxigenación extracorpórea. Al ejercer su juicio, se espera que los profesionales y equipos de atención tengan en cuenta estos lineamientos con el fin de hacer un uso racional y seguro de la oxigenoterapia y sus dispositivos básicos y avanzados, junto con las necesidades individuales y preferencias de las personas que están bajo su cuidado.

RECOMENDACIONES PARA EL USO DE OXÍGENO Y SUS DISPOSITIVOS BÁSICOS Y AVANZADOS: RACIONALIDAD Y SEGURIDAD EN TIEMPOS DE PANDEMIA POR SARS CoV2 EN COLOMBIA

Resumen En medio de la pandemia de COVID-19, y ante la inminencia de desabastecimiento de oxígeno en Colombia, la red de Gestión y Transferencia de Conocimiento, integrada por 19 sociedades científicas, instituciones de salud y universidades, genera una actualización al documento liderado por la Asociación Colombiana de Medicina Critica e incluye nuevos lineamientos informados en evidencia para el manejo racional de la oxigenoterapia, así como los dispositivos básicos y avanzados para la oxigenoterapia. Las recomendaciones se refieren a: uso racional de oxígeno orientado por metas, estandarización del seguimiento y ajuste de dosis, uso adecuado de los dispositivos de oxigenoterapia, uso racional de ventilación mecánica invasiva, y uso racional de la terapia con membrana de oxigenación extracorpórea. Al ejercer su juicio, se espera que los profesionales y equipos de atención tengan en cuenta estos lineamientos con el fin de hacer un uso racional y seguro de la oxigenoterapia y sus dispositivos básicos y avanzados, junto con las necesidades individuales y preferencias de las personas que están bajo su cuidado. In the midst the COVID-19 pandemic, and given the imminence of oxygen shortages in Colombia, the Knowledge Management and Transfer Network, made up of 19 scientific societies, health institutions, and universities, generates an update to the document led by the Colombian Association of Critical Medicine and includes new evidence-informed guidelines for the rational management of oxygen therapy, as well as basic and advanced devices for oxygen therapy. The recommendations refer to five topics: goal-oriented rational use of oxygen, standardization of follow-up and dose adjustment, effective use of oxygen therapy devices, rational use of invasive mechanical ventilation, and rational use of extracorporeal oxygenation membrane therapy. When exercising their judgment, it is expected that professionals and care teams will take into account these guidelines to make rational and safe use of oxygen therapy and its basic and advanced devices, together with the individual needs and preferences of the people who are under their care.

Mapping International Trade and Supply Chains for Humanitarian and Business Resilience to Atmospheric and Pandemic Disasters Method and Preliminary Findings for Puerto Rico 1

The study presents preliminary findings of a Pilot Project that identified alternatives to disruptions in international trade and supply chains in the face of atmospheric (hurricane Maria in 2017) and pandemic (COVID-19) disasters. It focused on four critical imports: water, humanitarian relief goods, solar photovoltaic products, and COVID-19 test reagents. The project proposed an alternative pathway and method to address disruptions: build an integrated database from Bill of Lading and import-export-related data organized by Harmonized Schedule Code. Data analyses were carried out based on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule code system, and an integrated database was generated for imports of the four products that Puerto Rico buys in the international market. Import Key data were analyzed based on the Bill of Lading, sector, companies that sell the product, location of countries where the products are sold, ports that can reach Puerto Rico, and contact information of the companies and suppliers. This information allows humanitarian organizations, SMEs and the government to identify alternative supply networks.

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Contribute to COVID-19 Hyperinflammation and Humoral Autoimmunity.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is related to enhanced production of NETs, and autoimmune/autoinflammatory phenomena. We evaluated the proportion of low-density granulocytes (LDG) by flow cytometry, and their capacity to produce NETs was compared with that of conventional neutrophils. NETs and their protein cargo were quantified by confocal microscopy and ELISA. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and the degradation capacity of NETs were addressed in serum. MILLIPLEX assay was used to assess the cytokine levels in macrophages' supernatant and serum. We found a higher proportion of LDG in severe and critical COVID-19 which correlated with severity and inflammatory markers. Severe/critical COVID-19 patients had higher plasmatic NE, LL-37 and HMGB1-DNA complexes, whilst ISG-15-DNA complexes were lower in severe patients. Sera from severe/critical COVID-19 patients had lower degradation capacity of NETs, which was reverted after adding hrDNase. Anti-NET antibodies were found in COVID-19, which correlated with ANA and ANCA positivity. NET stimuli enhanced the secretion of cytokines in macrophages. This study unveils the role of COVID-19 NETs as inducers of pro-inflammatory and autoimmune responses. The deficient degradation capacity of NETs may contribute to the accumulation of these structures and anti-NET antibodies are related to the presence of autoantibodies.

The endogenous cellular protease inhibitor SPINT2 controls SARS-CoV-2 viral infection and is associated to disease severity.

COVID-19 outbreak is the biggest threat to human health in recent history. Currently, there are over 1.5 million related deaths and 75 million people infected around the world (as of 22/12/2020). The identification of virulence factors which determine disease susceptibility and severity in different cell types remains an essential challenge. The serine protease TMPRSS2 has been shown to be important for S protein priming and viral entry, however, little is known about its regulation. SPINT2 is a member of the family of Kunitz type serine protease inhibitors and has been shown to inhibit TMPRSS2. Here, we explored the existence of a co-regulation between SPINT2/TMPRSS2 and found a tightly regulated protease/inhibitor expression balance across tissues. We found that SPINT2 negatively correlates with SARS-CoV-2 expression in Calu-3 and Caco-2 cell lines and was down-regulated in secretory cells from COVID-19 patients. We validated our findings using Calu-3 cell lines and observed a strong increase in viral load after SPINT2 knockdown, while overexpression lead to a drastic reduction of the viral load. Additionally, we evaluated the expression of SPINT2 in datasets from comorbid diseases using bulk and scRNA-seq data. We observed its down-regulation in colon, kidney and liver tumors as well as in alpha pancreatic islets cells from diabetes Type 2 patients, which could have implications for the observed comorbidities in COVID-19 patients suffering from chronic diseases.

First report on prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among health-care workers in Nicaragua.

The Nicaraguan COVID-19 situation is exceptional for Central America. The government restricts testing and testing supplies, and the true extent of the coronavirus crisis remains unknown. Dozens of deaths have been reported among health-care workers. However, statistics on the crisis' effect on health-care workers and their risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 are lacking. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health-care workers and to examine correlations with risk factors such as age, sex and comorbidities. Study participants (N = 402, median age 38.48 years) included physicians, nurses and medical assistants, from public and private hospitals, independent of symptom presentation. SARS-CoV-2 was detected on saliva samples using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay. A questionnaire was employed to determine subjects' COVID-19-associated symptoms and their vulnerability to complications from risk factors such as age, sex, professional role and comorbidities. The study was performed five weeks into the exponential growth period in Nicaragua. We discovered that 30.35% of health-care workers participating in our study had been infected with SARS-CoV-2. A large percentage (54.92%) of those who tested positive were asymptomatic and were still treating patients. Nearly 50% of health-care workers who tested positive were under 40, an astonishing 30.33% reported having at least one comorbidity. In our study, sex and age are important risk factors for the probability of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 with significance being greatest among those between 30 and 40 years of age. In general, being male resulted in higher risk. Our data are the first non-governmental data obtained in Nicaragua. They shed light on several important aspects of COVID-19 in an underdeveloped nation whose government has implemented a herd-immunity strategy, while lacking an adequate healthcare system and sufficient PPE for health-care workers. These data are important for creating policies for containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Toward to establish selection criteria for rapid serological tests for COVID-19

COVID-19, the new pandemic is associated to SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. Social distancing and the testing have been the principal measures that have shown to be effective for the reduction of critical cases. Although the gold standard for diagnosis of COVID-19 is the RT-PCR, rapid serological tests could also be used for prevalence studies, and for epidemiological monitoring. In order to characterize the humoral immune response, we analyzed eight immunochromatographic test and one ELISA test, as a verification or secondary validation analysis used positive and negative control serum samples. Sera from negative and positive individuals [asymptomatic or symptomatic individuals, outpatient or inpatientor (intensive care unit)] were analyzed, and the following results were found: of all these rapid tests, only 4 exhibit clear banding patterns for IgG and two of these also showed results for IgM (only in a few symptomatic patients). Instead, with an ELISA test a preferential recognition was observed for symptomatic patients who were critically ill, whereas in asymptomatic individuals it did not show more than 25% of positivity. Understanding and validating molecular and serological tests are an essential component for the design of public health measures to response to the pandemic. Resumen COVID-19 la nueva pandemia está asociada con la infección por el virus SARS-CoV-2. La distancia social y el análisis masivo de muestras son las principales medidas que se han mostrado efectivas para la reducción de los casos críticos. Aunque el estándar de oro para el diagnóstico de COVID-19 es la RT-PCR, las pruebas serológicas rápidas podrían también ser usadas en estudios de prevalencia, así como en la vigilancia epidemiológica. Con el fin de caracterizar la respuesta inmune humoral, analizamos ocho pruebas inmunocromatográficas y una prueba de ELISA, en un proceso de verificación de desempeño o validación secundaria, usando sueros control positivos y negativos. Los sueros de pacientes positivos y negativos [individuos asintomáticos o sintomáticos, pacientes ambulatorios u hospitalizados (en cuidados intensivos)] fueron analizados, encontrando los siguientes resultados: de todas las pruebas rápidas examinadas solamente 4 mostraron un claro patrón de bandas para IgG, de éstas, dos de ellas también mostraron resultados para IgM (solamente en pocos pacientes sintomáticos). En cambio, con la prueba de ELISA un reconocimiento preferencial fue observado en pacientes sintomáticos con enfermedad crítica, mientras que los individuos asintomáticos no mostraron más de un 25 % de positividad. Comprender y validar las pruebas serológicas son componentes esenciales en el diseño de las medidas de políticas públicas como respuesta a esta pandemia.