Effective Reproductive Number estimation for initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Latin American Countries.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become pandemic and turn in a challenge for Latin America. Understanding the dynamics of the epidemic is essential for decision making, and to reduce the health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic. The present study aimed to estimate the effective reproductive number (Rt) of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov2) infection during the first 10 days of the outbreak in seven Latin American countries with the highest incidence of cases as of March 23, 2020. Furthermore, we chose to compare the seven countries with Spain and Italy given their history with the virus. METHODS: Incidence data retrieved from the COVID-19 data repository by Johns Hopkins University were analyzed. The Rt was calculated for the first 10 days of the epidemic in Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, and Peru. Rt estimations were compared with Spain and Italy values for the same interval. RESULTS: The median Rt for the first 10 days of the COVID-19 epidemic were 2.90 (2.67-3.14) for Spain and 2.83 (2.7-2.96) for Italy. Latin American Rt estimations were higher in Ecuador (3.95(3.7-4.21)), Panama (3.95(3.7-4.21)), and Brazil (3.95(3.7-4.21)). The smallest one was observed in Peru (2.36(2.11-2.63)). All Latin American countries had Rt greater than 2. CONCLUSIONS: The initial stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in Latin America suggested a high Rt. Interventions such as domestic and international travel restrictions, educational institutions closure, social distancing, and intensified case surveillance should be adopted to prevent the collapse of the health systems.

Eficacia y seguridad del uso de hierro en el tratamiento de la falla cardiaca: revisión sistemática / Efficacy and safety of the use of iron in the treatment of heart failure: A systematic review

Resumen Introducción: La falla cardiaca asociada a deficiencia de hierro se relaciona directamente con disminución de parámetros funcionales y, por ende, con deterioro de la calidad de vida y pobre pronóstico de los pacientes que la padecen. Se ha encontrado que la corrección de la deficiencia de hierro mejora a corto plazo la clase funcional y otros parámetros de la enfermedad. Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia y la seguridad del uso de hierro en el tratamiento de la falla cardiaca. Métodos: De seleccionaron ensayos clínicos que evaluaran el uso de hierro en administración intravenosa u oral vs. placebo en el contexto de pacientes con falla cardíaca y a su vez se eligieron pacientes que concomitantemente sufrieran anemia ferropénica. En la búsqueda se incluyeron bases de datos como MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical trials (CENTRAL), LILACS y WPRIM. Resultados: De 10.729 títulos obtenidos 6 fueron elegibles con 835 pacientes, de los cuales 520 fueron tratados con terapia férrica y 315 con placebo o terapia convencional de falla cardiaca. Debido a la heterogeneidad de los resultados no fue posible hacer un metaanálisis. Conclusión: Se identificó mejoría significativa en múltiples parámetros evaluados, tales como el test de caminata de 6 minutos, clase funcional de la New York Heart Association, consumo máximo de oxígeno (VO2 máx.) y valoración global subjetiva. Por consiguiente, la terapia férrica es una opción segura y eficaz en el manejo de pacientes con falla cardiaca ya que mejora significativamente su capacidad funcional, calidad de vida y múltiples parámetros paraclínicos.

Abstract Introduction: Heart failure combined with iron deficiency is directly related with the reduction in functional parameters and, as consequence, with a deterioration in the quality of life and poor prognosis in the patients that suffer from it. It has been found that correction of the iron deficiency improves the functional class and other parameters of the disease in the short-term. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the use of iron in the treatment of heart failure. Methods: Clinical trials were selected that evaluated the use of administering intravenous or oral iron vs. placebo in the context of patients with cardiac failure and at the same time, patients were selected that concomitantly suffered from iron deficiency anaemia. The search was made in data bases such as MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical trials (CENTRAL), LILACS and WPRIM. Results: Of the 10,729 articles obtained, only 6 were eligible with 835 patients, of which 520 were treated with iron therapy and 315 with a placebo or conventional heart failure therapy. Due to the heterogeneity of the results, it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis. Conclusion: A significant improvement was identified in several of the parameters evaluated, such as the 6-minute walk test, the New York Heart Association functional class, maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max.), and an overall subjective evaluation. This showed that iron therapy is a safe and effective option in the management of patients with heart failure since there was a significant improvement in their functional capacity, quality of life, and several para-clinical parameters.