ABSTRACT
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with different infectivity, transmission potential, and morbidity change the characteristics of local epidemics and affect vaccine effectiveness. As part of the University of Southern California COVID-19 Pandemic Research Center's efforts to understand, control, and inform local community on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we implemented a SARS-CoV-2 surveillance program among students, employees, and USC Keck Medical Center patients. We present the epidemiology and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants among the population. Methods: We used digital droplet reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to analyze in real-time remnant SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive saliva specimens stored at the USC Keck Medicine laboratory between September 2020 and April 2022. Samples were tested for the original strain (A20) and 9 SARS-CoV-2 variants: α(B.1.1.7, Q.1-Q.8), ß(B.1.351, B.1.351.2, B.1.351.3), γ(P.1, P.1.1, P.1.2), δ(B.1.617.2), δ+(or δ417N), ε(B.1.427 and B.1.429), η(B.1.525), λ(C.37) and ο(B.1.1.529, ΒΑ.1, BA.2). We reviewed deidentified health information from positive cases including demographics, history of COVID-19 (eg, symptoms, hospitalizations, and repeat infections), and COVID-19 vaccination status. Results: We reviewed 1169 cases and determined the variant type of 482 specimens: 77 specimens were original strain, 119 "Delta", 165 "Omicron". The original strain was detected during the third and fourth quarters of 2020. The Delta variant appeared during the second quarter of 2021, whereas Omicron appeared in the fourth quarter of 2021. Conclusions: Prospectively tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants in a university population and a hospital system, utilizing a low-cost, high-throughput PCR assay, was feasible. Local variant monitoring remains important to inform prevention and control efforts among university and clinical settings.
ABSTRACT
Mediante la disminución de los niveles de contaminación del aire los países pueden reducir la carga en morbilidad derivada de accidentes cerebrovasculares, cáncer de pulmón y neumopatías crónicas y agudas. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar los efectos a corto y largo plazo que tiene la contaminación ambiental sobre la salud de la población por medio de una revisión narrativa de tipo cualitativo y descriptivo. El método de búsqueda e identificación de los estudios se realizó por medio de las siguientes bases de datos electrónicas: Medline, Pubmed, Science Direct, entre otras; con un estado del arte de máximo 5 años posteriores a su fecha de publicación. De acuerdo con la búsqueda realizada en las bases de datos, se seleccionaron un total de 10 artículos en los cuales se encontraron diferentes efectos de la contaminación ambiental en la salud humana a nivel respiratorio, cardiovascular, hepático, neurológico, gestacional, inmunológico, entre otros sistemas a causa del material particulado encontrado en el ambiente como los son del PM 2.5, PM10 Y otros gases relacionados con la contaminación y los efectos sobre la salud. Los resultados de esta revisión narrativa confirman los efectos asociados a la contaminación ambiental a corto plazo y largo plazo del aumento de las concentraciones de las partículas contaminantes encontradas en el ambiente. Palabras claves: contaminación ambiental, partículas contaminantes, efectos corto plazo, efectos largo plazo, material particulado.
By lowering air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from strokes, lung cancer, and chronic and acute lung diseases. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the short and long-term effects of environmental pollution on the health of the population through a qualitative and descriptive narrative review. The search and identification method of the studies was carried out through the following electronic databases: Medline, Pubmed, Science Direct, among others; with a state of the art of a maximum of 5 years after its publication date. According to the search carried out in the databases, a total of 10 were selected in which different effects of environmental pollution on human health were found at the respiratory, cardiovascular, liver, neurological, gestational, and immune levels, among other systems. due to particulate matter found in the environment such as PM 2.5, PM10 and other gases related to pollution and health effects. The results of this narrative review confirm the short-term and long-term effects associated with environmental pollution of increased concentrations of polluting particles found in the environment.
