The Experience of Testing for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) at a Single Diagnostic Center in Paraguay before the Introduction of Vaccination.

Soon after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute for Health Sciences Research (IICS) of the National University of Asunción, Paraguay became a testing laboratory (COVID-Lab) for SARS-CoV-2. The COVID-Lab testing performance was assessed from 1 April 2020 to 12 May 2021. The effect of the pandemic on the IICS and how the COVID-Lab contributed to the academic and research activities of the institute were also assessed. IICS researchers and staff adjusted their work schedules to support the COVID-Lab. Of the 13,082 nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs processed, 2704 (20.7%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. Of the individuals testing positive, 55.4% were female and 48.3% were aged 21-40 years. Challenges faced by the COVID-Lab were unstable reagent access and insufficient staff; shifting obligations regarding research, academic instruction, and grantsmanship; and the continuous demands from the public for information on COVID-19. The IICS provided essential testing and reported on the progress of the pandemic. IICS researchers gained better laboratory equipment and expertise in molecular SARS-CoV-2 testing but struggled to manage their conflicting educational and additional research obligations during the pandemic, which affected their productivity. Therefore, policies protecting the time and resources of the faculty and staff engaged in pandemic-related work or research are necessary components of healthcare emergency preparedness.

A Tri-Institutional Approach to Address Disparities in Children's Oncology Group Clinical Trial Accrual for Adolescents and Young Adults and Underrepresented Minorities.

Purpose: Enrollment in Children's Oncology Group (COG) clinical trials has led to significant improvements in survival; however, disparities in survival persist, particularly among ethnic minorities, adolescents and young adults (AYAs), and the underinsured, partly due to inadequate access to cooperative group cancer clinical trials. In 2008, two COG sites University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Rush University Medical Center, and a nonmember institution, John H Stroger Hospital, created a unified COG program utilizing one lead Institutional Review Board and research team. This study assesses the impact that the tri-institutional COG program had on clinical trial accrual for minority, AYA, and uninsured patients. Methods: Analysis and comparison of COG enrollment data from 2002 to 2008 (pre-merger) and 2008 to 2017 (post-merger) by age, ethnicity, insurance type, clinical trial type, oncologic diagnosis, and specialty of the enrolling physician were completed. Results: Following the merger, the total studies open to enrollment increased by 100%, enrollments increased by 446%, and, for each diagnoses, increased by more than 200%. Enrollment of ethnic minorities rose by 533%, most significantly for Hispanic patients by 925%. AYA enrollments increased by 822%. There was a 28-fold increase in enrollment of uninsured patients. Significantly more providers from various oncology specialties were engaged in enrolling patients and a consistent increase in the percentile standing of the program occurred after the merger. Conclusions: Creation of a tri-institutional COG research program was associated with significant increases in clinical trial enrollments, especially for underrepresented minorities, AYAs, and uninsured patients. The UIC/Rush/Stroger COG Program provides a novel and exemplary approach to address cancer health disparities for these vulnerable populations.