Early laboratory hematological parameters associated with COVID-19 mortality in an Amazonian population of Peru

COVID-19 has a significant impact on the hematopoietic system and hemostasis. Leukocytosis, lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia are associated with increased severity and even death in COVID-19 cases. Objective: The aim is to examine the laboratory results of COVID-19 patients from a hospital in the Peruvian Amazon and their clinical prognosis. Material and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out whose purpose was to identify the laboratory tests of patients with COVID-19 and mortality in a hospital in Ucayali, Peru during the period from March 13 to May 9, 2020, selecting a total of 127 with Covid-19. Mean and the standard deviation was described for age, leukocytes, neutrophils, platelets, RDW-SD;median and interquartile range for the variables lymphocyte, RN / L, fibrinogen, CRP, D-dimer, DHL, hematocrit, monocytes, eosinophils. Results: No differences were observed in this population regarding death and sex (OR: 1.31;95% CI 0.92 to 1.87), however, it was observed that, for each one-year increase, the probability of death increased by 4% (PR: 1.04, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.05). The IRR (Incidence Risk Ratio) analysis for the numerical variables showed results strongly associated with hematological values such as Leukocytes (scaled by 2500 units) ( IRR: 1.08, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.13), neutrophils (scaled by 2500 units) (IRR: 1.08;95% CI 1.03 to 1.13), on the contrary, it is observed that the increase of 1000 units in lymphocytes, the probability of dying decreased by 48% (IRR: 0.52;95% CI 0.38 to 071). Conclusions: Parameters such as leukocytes,neutrophils and D-dimer were statistically much higher in patients who died.

Consumption of ivermectin for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 in Peru

Introduction: The use of ivermectin in the treatment or prevention against COVID-19 poses a public health problem. Objective: Describe the inappropriate use of ivermectin for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study. A snowball-type sampler was used. All those who agreed to participate in the study (163) and who agreed to participate voluntarily were interviewed. The participants belonged to the departments of Áncash, Apurímac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Pasco, Piura, Puno, Tacna and Ucayali (Peru). The study was conducted during the month of May, 2021. Results: 163 participants were surveyed, of which 71 (44%) were men and 92 (56%) women, with a mean age of 56.41 (SD 10.24) and with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 82 years. The most relevant was the frequent use of ivermectin for the spread of COVID-19, although it was consumed more time by people who used it as prevention method. Conclusions: People consumed ivermectin once or twice a day, without a prescription, as prevention or because they had COVID-19. Those who took it as a preventive method took high doses for a long time putting their health at risk. This situation could be reversed through the proper implementation of science-based directives and a better media information policy.

Internet search trends: a tool for effective communication

Background: The disease sprouts by coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an important event in the health and well-being of people around the world. The worldwide public interest in this new topic reflects to a large extent the attention of people to COVID-19 and their willingness to take precautionary measures. Objective: Examine the worldwide public awareness of COVID-19 using Google Trends. Methods: Using Google Trends, we retrieved data from public consultations for the terms of [COVID-19 coronavirus + quarantine + face masks + handwash + chloroquine + azithromycin] between the 1st of December 2019 until the 25th of April 2020 in four countries (Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Brazil). The dynamic analysis of series shows the general exchange rate trend of the relative volume (RSV) for the theme in COVID-19. The correlation between the daily search volumes on the topic related to COVID-19 and the daily number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed. Results: Our studies have observed that the general trend of RSV searches with respect to topics related to COVID-19 increased during the initial period of observation time and reached the first point of the first week of March 2020 in the majority of countries. A slightly positive correlation was observed between the daily RSV on the topic related to COVID-19 and the daily number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the majority of countries. Conclusions: The current study reminds us that governments should strengthen COVID-19 publicity at national level, strengthen public awareness and awareness of COVID-19, inform the public about the importance of protecting themselves with sufficient precautionary measures and finally to control the spread of COVID19 worldwide. © 2021, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.

Nextstrain: a tool to analyze the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2

Worldwide concern about the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as a global threat to public health is the reason for the exponential growth of phylogenetic analyses. The purpose of this review was to describe the mode of operation and advantages of the tool Nextstrain, as well as the sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. The interface of the Nextstrain page was used to show its functions and data visualization modes. These were downloaded from the website GISAID to show the number of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing processes performed so far. Nextstrain is an open code project created by bioinformatics biologists to make good use of the scientific and public health potential of data about genomes of pathogens. Nextstrain consists in a set of tools operating with unprocessed sequences (in FASTA format). Nextstrain performs a sequence alignment of the input data into a multiple sequence alignment based on fast Fourier transform. Its use is based on two software applications: Augur and Auspice. Nextstrain is an efficient tool by which lay people may obtain epidemiological data in a simple manner. It may be used in the public health sector, since it shows real time data about epidemics and their geographic distribution. It may also be used to follow-up outbreaks, as is the case with COVID-19. © 2021, Centro Nacional de Informacion de Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.

Differences between SARS-CoV-2 and avian infectious bronchitis (IBV) coronavirus

The new coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) is caused by the virus called SARS-CoV-2, however, in free-range chicken's coronaviruses cause Avian Infectious Bronchitis. Currently, it has been possible to analyze the genomic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which indicates that it emerged from an animal reservoir, it has even been considered that a virus isolated from a bat, identical to SARS-CoV, is the parent of the new coronavirus. In other studies, it has been shown that the glycoprotein of the viral spicule has a high degree of relationship between viruses that infect mammals and birds, which is the one that allows contact with the host. Whereas in the case of IBV, when inhaled, the virus will bind to sialic acid-containing gly-coprotein receptors in hair epithelial cells of respiratory tissue, then viral replication will result in loss of ciliary function, mucus clearance, necrosis, and peeling, causing shortness of breath and suffocation. IBV affects the trachea, kidneys, and reproductive tract of many birds. In chickens, viremic IBV causes lesions in the magnum and the uterus. This review elucidates some key points in the differences between the novel coronavirus and the infectious bronchitis virus. SARS-CoV-2 is highly unlikely to infect or cause disease in poultry.

Perception and knowledge about COVID-19: A characterization through surveys

Objetive. To describe the perceptions and knowledge about COVID-19. Material and Method: Cross-sectional study, an online survey of 314 participants was conducted, the questionnaire consists of 9 multiplechoice questions, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The average age of the respondents was 26.9 years, the sample comprised more women 161 (51.3%) than men and almost 89% of the respondents belonged to undergraduate, the place of origin of the Covid-19 was well known 94.30%, for half of the respondents 159 (50.6%) it is not a zoonotic disease, concerning the COVID-19 prevention measures the majority of the respondents consider that handwashing is an of the main prevention measures. Conclusion: CAP studies are important for a better understanding of the perception and knowledge of COVID-19. The study revealed that respondents generally have some general knowledge about SARS-CoV-2.

Analysis of SARS-COV-2 genomes of samples from Peru

Introduction: Genomic analysis of samples from documented COVID-19 cases can be used successfully to help track sources of Sars-Cov-2 infection, which can be quarantined to prevent the recurrent spread of the disease around the world. Objectives: To describe the SARS-CoV-2 sequences isolated from Peruvian patients. Methods: All genomes published up to March 2021, uploaded in the GISAID and Nextstrain repository, were selected. All data is on the web in a public way;In addition, the information was filtered by continent, country, region, clade, lineage, and sex from March 2020 to February 2021. Results: It was evidenced that the region with the most isolated genomes was Lima, the most frequent clade is GR, the viral lineage B.1.1 is the most frequent and persistent in time and most of the genomes were isolated from people of the female sex. Conclusions: The clade GR is common to all South American countries and the European and Asian continents, followed by clades G and GH with greater frequency;on the other hand, the most persistent viral lineage in Peru is B.1.1, this being not common with other countries.