Assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic progression in Ecuador through seroprevalence analysis of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM antibodies in blood donors.

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe respiratory illness caused by the RNA virus SARS-CoV-2. Globally, there have been over 759.4 million cases and 6.74 million deaths, while Ecuador has reported more than 1.06 million cases and 35.9 thousand deaths. To describe the COVID-19 pandemic impact and the vaccinations effectiveness in a low-income country like Ecuador, we aim to assess the seroprevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in a sample from healthy blood donors at the Cruz Roja Ecuatoriana. Methods: The present seroprevalence study used a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies in months with the highest confirmed case rates (May 2020; January, April 2021; January, February, June, July 2022) and months with the highest vaccination rates (May, June, July, August, December 2021) in Quito, Ecuador. The IgG and IgM seroprevalence were also assessed based on sex, age range, blood type and RhD antigen type. The sample size was 8,159, and sampling was performed based on the availability of each blood type. Results: The results showed an overall IgG and IgM seroprevalence of 47.76% and 3.44%, respectively. There were no differences in IgG and IgM seroprevalences between blood groups and sex, whereas statistical differences were found based on months, age range groups, and RhD antigen type. For instance, the highest IgG seroprevalence was observed in February 2022 and within the 17-26 years age range group, while the highest IgM seroprevalence was in April 2021 and within the 47-56 years age range group. Lastly, only IgG seroprevalence was higher in RhD+ individuals while IgM seroprevalence was similar across RhD types. Discussion: This project contributes to limited data on IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Ecuador. It suggests that herd immunity may have been achieved in the last evaluated months, and highlights a potential link between the RhD antigen type and COVID-19 susceptibility. These findings have implications for public health strategies and vaccine distribution not only in Ecuador but also in regions with similar characteristics.

Observational study of corrected count increments after transfusion of platelets treated with riboflavin pathogen reduction technology in additive solutions.

BACKGROUND: Mirasol pathogen reduction technology (PRT) treatment inactivates bacteria, viruses, and parasites in plasma products and platelets (PLTs) suspended in plasma and PLT additive solutions (PAS). Few clinical studies exist documenting transfusions with PAS. This study objective was to evaluate the count increments of PRT-treated PAS-C and PAS-E buffy coat (BC) PLTs in routine use observational settings. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: PLT pools of five or six BCs were collected, processed, and suspended in PAS-C or PAS-E, respectively. Products were exposed to ultraviolet light in the presence of riboflavin and then transfused into 19 patients with hematologic diseases. Patients were monitored for PLT corrected count increment (CCI) at 1 and 24 hours and for any adverse events in the 72 hours after transfusion. Sterility monitoring was performed with a microbial detection system (BacT/ALERT, bioMérieux). RESULTS: The PAS-E products had significantly higher PLT concentrations and counts than the PAS-C products. The mean CCIs of per-protocol (PP) units at 1 and 24 hours were 11,900 (n=27) and 5500 (n=30), respectively. Seventy-eight percent of PP transfusions classify as successful with CCIs at 1 hour of higher than 7500, and 63% higher than 4500 at 24 hours. One patient was excluded from all analyses as she was refractory to Mirasol-treated PLT transfusions and follow-up untreated transfusion products. No adverse events were observed and no contaminated products were detected by BacT/ALERT. CONCLUSION: PRT-treated BC PLTs in PAS-C or PAS-E demonstrate PLT transfusion success rates in hematology patients with thrombocytopenia that are comparable to previous studies examining PLTs stored in plasma.

El desempleo juvenil: problema de efectosperpetuos / Youth unemployment: problem with perpetual effects

El presente artículo evidencia avances teóricos y empíricos respecto al análisis deldesempleo juvenil, subrayando en materia teórica argumentos relacionados con las causas de estefenómeno, tales como la dinámica poblacional juvenil, el desempleo estructural y las condicionessocioeconómicas de los países; las consecuencias, como los bajos ingresos, la exclusión social yel desarrollo de actividades delictivas, efectos que pueden prolongarse por más de diez años. Y enmateria metodológica, diferencias conceptuales para definir a un individuo “joven”, que varían depaís a país, y dependen de instituciones nacionales encargadas de la información estadística, y enalgunos casos, de las mismas condiciones económicas de los países.

Estudio transversal de los determinantes del trabajo infantil en Cartagena, año 2007 / Estudo transversal dos determinantes do trabalho infantil em Cartagena, ano 2007 / Transversal study of determinants of child labor in Cartagena, year 2007

El trabajo infantil constituye una problemática compleja que tiene importantes repercusiones en las reservas de capital humano, en la salud de los niños y niñas, y en la persistencia de la pobreza. Nuestro principal objetivo en este artículo es dilucidar sus determinantes en la ciudad de Cartagena a través de la estimación de un modelo probit bivariado, con el cual analizamos conjuntamente las decisiones de trabajo y de asistencia escolar. Los resultados muestran que el trabajo infantil y la asistencia escolar son actividades excluyentes, siendo los determinantes más robustos de estas decisiones la educación del jefe de hogar, y la pobreza. Entre otros determinantes se encuentran las restricciones crediticias, la proximidad física a las escuelas y la tasa de ocupación de las personas adulta.

O trabalho infantil constitui uma problemática complexa que tem importantes repercussões nas reservas de capital humano, na saúde dos meninos e meninas, e na persistência da pobreza. Nosso principal objetivo neste artigo é identificar seus determinantes na cidade de Cartagena mediante da estimação de um modelo probit bivariado, com o qual analisamos conjuntamente as decisões de trabalho e de assistência escolar. Os resultados mostram que o trabalho infantil e a assistência escolar são atividades excludentes, sendo os determinantes mais robustos destas decisões a educação do chefe de lar, e a pobreza. Entre outros determinantes encontram-se as restrições creditícias, a proximidade física às escolas e a taxa de ocupação das pessoas adultas.

Child labor is a complex issue with crucial consequences in human capital reserve, children´s health and persistence of poverty. The main aim of this article is to elucidate its determinants in Cartagena through the estimation of a bivariate probit model, which allows analyzing joint decision of schooling attendance and child labor. The findings show that schooling attendance and child labor are exclusives, being the most important determinants the education of the head of household and poverty. Among other determinants they were found credit restrictions, proximity to schools and the occupancy rate of the adults.