Long-term dynamics of natural, vaccine-induced, and hybrid immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in a university hospital in Colombia: A cohort study (preprint)

This prospective cohort study aimed to estimate the natural, vaccine-induced, and hybrid immunity to SARS-CoV-2, alongside the immunogenicity of the mRNA-1273 booster after the BNT162b2 primary series in healthcare workers in Colombia. IgG, IgA, and neutralizing antibodies were measured in 110 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection or a BNT162b2 primary series. Humoral responses and related factors were explored in a subgroup (n = 36) that received a BNT162b2 primary series followed by a mRNA-1273 booster (2BNT162b2 + 1mRNA-1273), and T-cell responses were evaluated in a subgroup of them (n = 16). For natural immunity, IgG and IgA peaked within three months, declining gradually but remaining detectable up to 283 days post-infection. Neutralizing antibody inhibition post-infection was below positive range (≥ 35%) but exceeded 97% in vaccine-induced and hybrid immunity groups. Following 2BNT162b2 + 1mRNA-1273, IgG peaked 3–4 months post-booster, gradually declining but remaining positive over 10 months, with IgA and neutralizing antibodies stable. Age and blood group were related to IgG response, while obesity and blood type to IgA response post-booster. Autoimmunity and blood type B were associated with lower neutralizing antibody inhibition. There were no differences in T-cell responses according to prior infection. These findings provide long-term insights into the immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and the immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines.

PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN COLOMBIA: WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC? (preprint)

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the well-being of millions of people around the globe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of the population was affected, which means that governments would need to implement different actions to mitigate and treat mental health disorders result of the pandemic. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression for female and male adolescents and adults in Colombia before the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aimed to estimate the potential increase of the prevalence in each group as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We used the Individual Registry of Health Services Delivery data from 2015 - 2021 to estimate the observed prevalence of anxiety and depression. Using the National Mental Health Survey 2015, we simulated the expected prevalence of anxiety and depression for adolescents (12 to 17 years) and adults (18 or older) from 2016 to 2020. We used an arithmetic static Monte Carlo simulation process to estimate the expected prevalence. The results of the analysis using revealed an important increase in the observed prevalence of these disorders for adults and adolescents and men and women between 2015 and February 2020. When we simulated different scenarios using the National Mental Health Survey and estimated the prevalence of both depression and anxiety for adults and adolescents, we found that the prevalence of depression and anxiety has had an important increase in the last five years for all groups and had an important increase during the 2020. This increase has been greater for women than for men, and for adolescents than adults. Our results show the number of people who need potential attention from the health system in Colombia and highlight the importance to think about how to avoid and detect potential cases of anxiety and depression especially in female adolescents.

Design of logistics Indicators for Monitoring the Covid-19 Vaccination Process in Colombia (preprint)

The vaccine supply chain (VSC) integrates all the activities from production to dispensing. It is characterized by its complexity and low responsiveness, highlighting the importance of defining key performance indicators (KPIs). The design science research methodology was used to develop 38 KPIs, which were grouped into humanitarian and technological dimensions. The former includes demographic, epidemiological, and vaccination indicators, while the latter is classified into five groups according to the echelons of the supply chain. Public and private health organizations and research groups validated the indicators. They were calculated and recorded daily to monitor the logistics progress of the National Vaccination Plan against covid-19 in Colombia. These tailored KPIs, made it possible to evaluate and compare the results of the execution and effectiveness of public policies, and to redefine the strategies, showing that the logistics point of view helps identify the impact of good practices and transfer them promptly.

Tracing and measuring the COVID-19 Colombian vaccination network

The COVID-19 vaccination process in Colombia has been a major challenge not only in terms of public health but also in terms of supply chain management and logistics processes. To support the monitoring of these processes and associated decision-making, a dashboard was designed in Google Data Studio focused on analyzing the progress of COVID-19 vaccination and its logistics efficiency. This article describes the design and implementation of the dashboard using a design science approach and discusses the main lessons learned. During its development, four major challenges were identified: the search for and availability of data sources, the definition and standardization of metrics, the extraction of data in different formats;and finally, the validation of the metrics. Despite these challenges, the dashboard became a source of information for different stakeholders in the Colombian COVID-19 vaccination network, facilitating the monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs), supporting decision-making, and policy evaluation. This reaffirms the importance of having open information to generate knowledge for both public and private entities as well as for the public. The main contribution of this work is the definition and standardization of the KPIs and it is therefore expected that this experience will serve as an insightful input for designing mass vaccination strategies.