Local-scale phylodynamics reveal differential community impact of SARS-CoV-2 in a metropolitan US county.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission is largely driven by heterogeneous dynamics at a local scale, leaving local health departments to design interventions with limited information. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes sampled between February 2020 and March 2022 jointly with epidemiological and cell phone mobility data to investigate fine scale spatiotemporal SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in King County, Washington, a diverse, metropolitan US county. We applied an approximate structured coalescent approach to model transmission within and between North King County and South King County alongside the rate of outside introductions into the county. Our phylodynamic analyses reveal that following stay-at-home orders, the epidemic trajectories of North and South King County began to diverge. We find that South King County consistently had more reported and estimated cases, COVID-19 hospitalizations, and longer persistence of local viral transmission when compared to North King County, where viral importations from outside drove a larger proportion of new cases. Using mobility and demographic data, we also find that South King County experienced a more modest and less sustained reduction in mobility following stay-at-home orders than North King County, while also bearing more socioeconomic inequities that might contribute to a disproportionate burden of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Overall, our findings suggest a role for local-scale phylodynamics in understanding the heterogeneous transmission landscape.

Covid-19, competencias digitales docentes y educación especial en México / COVID-19, Educational Digital Competences and Special Education in Mexico

Los retos que enfrentó el profesorado durante el confinamiento causado por la covid-19 se acrecentaron para quienes atienden a estudiantes con necesidades educativas especiales o barreras para el aprendizaje, a causa de la escasez de herramientas tecnológicas especializadas y el incipiente desarrollo de competencias digitales. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las condiciones en las que este profesorado que labora en educación básica y media superior en México trabajó durante el período abril 2020-diciembre 2021. Se realizó una investigación atributiva estructural de alcance explicativo que empleó la encuesta como técnica de recuperación de información. Participaron 140 docentes cuyas respuestas fueron analizadas estadísticamente y cartografíadas utilizando el Sistema de Información Geográfica y el programa ArcGIS, con la finalidad de destacar diferencias y carencias regionales. Los resultados se centran en dos ejes del Marco Común de Competencia Digital Docente (Creación de contenidos y Seguridad), y evidencian la persistencia de brechas socioeducativas, siendo docentes de zonas urbanas quienes expresan haber desarrollado estas competencias, destacando quienes tienen menos años de servicio, mayores grados académicos y buscan estabilidad laboral, lo que lleva a concluir en la necesidad de fortalecer procesos formativos diferenciados que respondan a las necesidades específicas de los contextos educativos. (AU)

The challenges faced by teachers during the confinement caused by Covid-19 were more severe for those who look after students with special needs or learning barriers, particularly in a context marked by the scarcity of specialized technological tools and an incipient development of digital skills among both teachers and students. The paper analyzes the conditions in which teachers who work in basic and upper secondary education in Mexico carried out their jobs from April 2020 - December 2021. The analysis is based upon a structural attributive research of explanatory scope that retrieved information through a survey. 140 teachers participated in the process; their responses were statistically analyzed and mapped out using the Geographic Information System and the ArcGIS program, in order to highlight regional differences and shortcomings. The results presented focus on two axes of the Common Framework for Digital Teaching Competence (Content Creation and Security) and show the persistence of socio-educational gaps. Those who express that to have developed these competences are teachers from urban areas, particularly those who have less years of service, higher academic degrees, and are in the seek of job stability. This leads to the conclusion that there is a need to strengthen differentiated training processes that respond to the specific needs of educational contexts. (AU)

Bacterial incidence and drug resistance from pathogens recovered from blood, cerebrospinal and pleural fluids in 2019-2020. Results of the Invifar network.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern. Analysis of sterile fluids is essential because microorganisms are defined as significant in most cases. Blood, cerebrospinal, and pleural fluids are frequently received in the microbiology lab because they are associated with considerable rates of morbi-mortality. Knowledge of epidemiology in these samples is needed to choose proper empirical treatments due to the importance of reducing selection pressure. Methods: We used retrospective laboratory data of blood, CSF, and pleural fluid collected from patients in Mexico between 2019 and 2020. Each laboratory identified the strains and tested susceptibility using its routine methods. For Streptococcus pneumoniae, a comparative analysis was performed with data from the broth microdilution method. Results: Forty-five centers participated in the study, with 30,746 clinical isolates from blood, 2,429 from pleural fluid, and 2,275 from CSF. For blood and CSF, Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most frequent. For blood, among gram negatives, the most frequent was Escherichia coli. Among Enterobacterales, 9.8% of K. pneumoniae were carbapenem-resistant. For S. pneumoniae, similar resistance percentages were observed for levofloxacin, cefotaxime, and vancomycin. For CSF, the most frequent gram-negative was E. coli. In Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem resistance was 71.4%. The most frequent species detected for pleural fluid was E. coli; in A. baumannii, carbapenem resistance was 96.3%. Conclusion: Gram-negative bacteria, with E. coli most prevalent, are frequently recovered from CSF, blood, and pleural fluid. In S. pneumoniae, the routine, conventional methods showed good agreement in detecting resistance percentages for erythromycin, levofloxacin, and vancomycin.

Manejo anestésico de gestantes con la COVID-19 en un centro de nivel terciario / Anesthetic Management of Pregnant Women with COVID-19 in a Tertiary- Level Cente

Introducción: Se exponen los resultados de la atención anestesiológica en un Centro de Carácter Provincial, destinado a la cirugía obstétrica de pacientes gestantes tributarias de cesárea y enfermas por la COVID-19. Objetivo: Mostrar los resultados de una etapa de trabajo, bajo situación epidemiológica excepcional y durante la existencia de más de una cepa circulante de SARS-CoV 2. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación descriptiva, longitudinal, prospectiva; se incluyeron 70 embarazadas diagnosticadas con la COVID-19 y diverso grado de afectación pulmonar y sistémica. Resultados: Se consideraron graves 49 (85,96 %), se empleó la anestesia general orotraqueal en 54 (97,73 %), resultaron fallecidas en el posoperatorio 14 (26,31 %) y en el transoperatorio 1 (1,75 %). Del total arribaron ventiladas a la Unidad Quirúrgica 33 (57,89 %) y 49 (85,96 %) presentaron hipoxemia severa al arribo del quirófano. Se logró extubar al final de la intervención solo a 21 (36,84 %), únicamente se efectuaron tres anestesias regionales. El distrés respiratorio en 39 (68,42 %) casos, el fallo circulatorio en 17 (29,82 %) y la presencia de derrames pericárdicos en 13 (22,80 %) casos, fueron los hallazgos asociados. El tiempo entre diagnóstico y decisión de cesárea en beneficio materno fue de 2 días promedio. Conclusiones: Se mostraron los resultados de una etapa de trabajo, bajo situación epidemiológica excepcional, durante la existencia de más de una cepa circulante de SARS-CoV 2. La mayoría de las pacientes atendidas requirieron ventilación invasiva, la anestesia general fue la técnica a emplear, la disfunción pulmonar asociado a la falla cardiocirculatoria fueron condiciones presentes y determinantes del resultado, el cumplimiento de las medidas de bioseguridad evitó el contagio del personal durante todo el período(AU)

Introduction: The results of anesthesiological care are presented as it was provided in a provincial center for obstetric surgery of pregnant patients candidates for a cesarean section and who were ill with COVID-19. Objective: To show the results of a working stage, under an exceptional epidemiological situation and during the existence of more than one circulating strain of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: A descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study was carried out. Seventy pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 and varying degrees of pulmonary and systemic involvement were included. Results: Forty-nine (85.96 %) were considered as severe cases, orotracheal general anesthesia was used in 54 (97.73 %), 14 (26.31 %) died postoperatively and one (1.75 %) died during surgery. Of the total, 33 (57.89 %) were ventilated on arrival to the surgical unit and 49 (85.96 %) presented severe hypoxemia on arrival to the operating room. Only 21 (36.84 %) were extubated at the end of the operation and only three regional anesthetic procedures were performed. Respiratory distress in 39 (68.42 %) cases, circulatory failure in 17 (29.82 %) cases and the presence of pericardial effusions in 13 (22.80 %) cases were the associated findings. The time between diagnosis and decision for a cesarean section based on maternal benefit was two days on average. Conclusions: The results of a working stage under an exceptional epidemiological situation and during the existence of more than one circulating strain of SARS-CoV-2 were shown. Most of the attended patients required invasive ventilation. General anesthesia was the technique to be used. Pulmonary dysfunction in association with cardiocirculatory failure were present conditions that determined the results. Compliance with biosafety measures prevented the staff contagion during the entire period(AU)

Local-Scale phylodynamics reveal differential community impact of SARS-CoV-2 in metropolitan US county.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission is largely driven by heterogeneous dynamics at a local scale, leaving local health departments to design interventions with limited information. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes sampled between February 2020 and March 2022 jointly with epidemiological and cell phone mobility data to investigate fine scale spatiotemporal SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in King County, Washington, a diverse, metropolitan US county. We applied an approximate structured coalescent approach to model transmission within and between North King County and South King County alongside the rate of outside introductions into the county. Our phylodynamic analyses reveal that following stay-at-home orders, the epidemic trajectories of North and South King County began to diverge. We find that South King County consistently had more reported and estimated cases, COVID-19 hospitalizations, and longer persistence of local viral transmission when compared to North King County, where viral importations from outside drove a larger proportion of new cases. Using mobility and demographic data, we also find that South King County experienced a more modest and less sustained reduction in mobility following stay-at-home orders than North King County, while also bearing more socioeconomic inequities that might contribute to a disproportionate burden of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Overall, our findings suggest a role for local-scale phylodynamics in understanding the heterogeneous transmission landscape.

Trends in Risk Factors and Symptoms Associated With SARS-CoV-2 and Rhinovirus Test Positivity in King County, Washington, June 2020 to July 2022.

Importance: Few US studies have reexamined risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 positivity in the context of widespread vaccination and new variants or considered risk factors for cocirculating endemic viruses, such as rhinovirus. Objectives: To evaluate how risk factors and symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity changed over the course of the pandemic and to compare these with the risk factors associated with rhinovirus test positivity. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case-control study used a test-negative design with multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus test positivity and self-reported demographic and symptom variables over a 25-month period. The study was conducted among symptomatic individuals of all ages enrolled in a cross-sectional community surveillance study in King County, Washington, from June 2020 to July 2022. Exposures: Self-reported data for 15 demographic and health behavior variables and 16 symptoms. Main Outcomes and Measures: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 or rhinovirus infection. Results: Analyses included data from 23 498 individuals. The median (IQR) age of participants was 34.33 (22.42-45.08) years, 13 878 (59.06%) were female, 4018 (17.10%) identified as Asian, 654 (2.78%) identified as Black, and 2193 (9.33%) identified as Hispanic. Close contact with an individual with SARS-CoV-2 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.89; 95% CI, 3.34-4.57) and loss of smell or taste (aOR, 3.49; 95% CI, 2.77-4.41) were the variables most associated with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity, but both attenuated during the Omicron period. Contact with a vaccinated individual with SARS-CoV-2 (aOR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.56-2.79) was associated with lower odds of testing positive than contact with an unvaccinated individual with SARS-CoV-2 (aOR, 4.04; 95% CI, 2.39-7.23). Sore throat was associated with Omicron infection (aOR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.68-3.20) but not Delta infection. Vaccine effectiveness for participants fully vaccinated with a booster dose was 93% (95% CI, 73%-100%) for Delta, but not significant for Omicron. Variables associated with rhinovirus test positivity included being younger than 12 years (aOR, 3.92; 95% CI, 3.42-4.51) and experiencing a runny or stuffy nose (aOR, 4.58; 95% CI, 4.07-5.21). Black race, residing in south King County, and households with 5 or more people were significantly associated with both SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus test positivity. Conclusions and Relevance: In this case-control study of 23 498 symptomatic individuals, estimated risk factors and symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection changed over time. There was a shift in reported symptoms between the Delta and Omicron variants as well as reductions in the protection provided by vaccines. Racial and sociodemographic disparities persisted in the third year of SARS-CoV-2 circulation and were also present in rhinovirus infection. Trends in testing behavior and availability may influence these results.

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants on a university campus.

Novel variants continue to emerge in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. University testing programs may provide timely epidemiologic and genomic surveillance data to inform public health responses. We conducted testing from September 2021 to February 2022 in a university population under vaccination and indoor mask mandates. A total of 3,048 of 24,393 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR; whole genome sequencing identified 209 Delta and 1,730 Omicron genomes of the 1,939 total sequenced. Compared to Delta, Omicron had a shorter median serial interval between genetically identical, symptomatic infections within households (2 versus 6 days, P = 0.021). Omicron also demonstrated a greater peak reproductive number (2.4 versus 1.8), and a 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 0.58, 1.57; P < 0.0001) higher mean cycle threshold value. Despite near universal vaccination and stringent mitigation measures, Omicron rapidly displaced the Delta variant to become the predominant viral strain and led to a surge in cases in a university population.

Peripheral neuropathy in leprosy: Clinical manifestations and disability in a Colombian national referral center.

To aim of the paper was to describe the neurological features of the physical examination in patients with Hansen's disease who were treated in Bogotá, Colombia. We carried out a descriptive study of all patients with a Hansen's disease diagnosis treated at a referral center between 2003-2018. There were 327 eligible electronic health records (EHRs) with a final sample of 282 subjects. Leprosy was most common in males (57.45%), median age at the diagnosis was 54 years, and lesions of the lower limbs were more common (75.1%). The median time from disease onset to consult was 12 months. Most of them were classified as having lepromatous leprosy (39.7%). Pain over the median nerve trunk was the most common manifestation of disease (28%), followed by pain over the radial trunk (22%). Sensitive alterations were more common than motor ones. Specifically, the posterior tibial nerve was affected in nearly half of subjects. Dual impairment was more common in the ulnar nerve (13.8%). Some disability was apparent in 23.8% of subjects; predominantly grade 1 disability. Findings regarding age, leprosy type, and the frequency of individual nerve compromise were consistent with reports from other countries. Nerve trunk thickening was infrequent, which might be a consequence of subjectiveness in the examination and sample differences in sex distribution, degree of disability and time since disease onset. The frequency of morbidity and disability found in this sample, though low when compared with other series, fails to meet public health goals, including those limiting disability in younger subjects.

Associations Between Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Variants and Risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Hospitalization Among Confirmed Cases in Washington State: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is dominated by variant viruses; the resulting impact on disease severity remains unclear. Using a retrospective cohort study, we assessed the hospitalization risk following infection with 7 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. METHODS: Our study includes individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the Washington Disease Reporting System with available viral genome data, from 1 December 2020 to 14 January 2022. The analysis was restricted to cases with specimens collected through sentinel surveillance. Using a Cox proportional hazards model with mixed effects, we estimated hazard ratios (HR) for hospitalization risk following infection with a variant, adjusting for age, sex, calendar week, and vaccination. RESULTS: In total, 58 848 cases were sequenced through sentinel surveillance, of which 1705 (2.9%) were hospitalized due to COVID-19. Higher hospitalization risk was found for infections with Gamma (HR 3.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.40-4.26), Beta (HR 2.85, 95% CI 1.56-5.23), Delta (HR 2.28 95% CI 1.56-3.34), or Alpha (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.29-2.07) compared to infections with ancestral lineages; Omicron (HR 0.92, 95% CI .56-1.52) showed no significant difference in risk. Following Alpha, Gamma, or Delta infection, unvaccinated patients show higher hospitalization risk, while vaccinated patients show no significant difference in risk, both compared to unvaccinated, ancestral lineage cases. Hospitalization risk following Omicron infection is lower with vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Infection with Alpha, Gamma, or Delta results in a higher hospitalization risk, with vaccination attenuating that risk. Our findings support hospital preparedness, vaccination, and genomic surveillance.

Interactions among 17 respiratory pathogens: a cross-sectional study using clinical and community surveillance data.

Background: Co-circulating respiratory pathogens can interfere with or promote each other, leading to important effects on disease epidemiology. Estimating the magnitude of pathogen-pathogen interactions from clinical specimens is challenging because sampling from symptomatic individuals can create biased estimates. Methods: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study using samples collected by the Seattle Flu Study between 11 November 2018 and 20 August 2021. Samples that tested positive via RT-qPCR for at least one of 17 potential respiratory pathogens were included in this study. Semi-quantitative cycle threshold (Ct) values were used to measure pathogen load. Differences in pathogen load between monoinfected and coinfected samples were assessed using linear regression adjusting for age, season, and recruitment channel. Results: 21,686 samples were positive for at least one potential pathogen. Most prevalent were rhinovirus (33·5%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPn, 29·0%), SARS-CoV-2 (13.8%) and influenza A/H1N1 (9·6%). 140 potential pathogen pairs were included for analysis, and 56 (40%) pairs yielded significant Ct differences (p < 0.01) between monoinfected and co-infected samples. We observed no virus-virus pairs showing evidence of significant facilitating interactions, and found significant viral load decrease among 37 of 108 (34%) assessed pairs. Samples positive with SPn and a virus were consistently associated with increased SPn load. Conclusions: Viral load data can be used to overcome sampling bias in studies of pathogen-pathogen interactions. When applied to respiratory pathogens, we found evidence of viral-SPn facilitation and several examples of viral-viral interference. Multipathogen surveillance is a cost-efficient data collection approach, with added clinical and epidemiological informational value over single-pathogen testing, but requires careful analysis to mitigate selection bias.

Effectiveness of the ICCMS caries management system for children: a 3-year multicentre randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This 3-year multicentre randomised controlled trial compared, in 6-7-year-old Colombian children, the effectiveness of the ICCMS (International Caries Classification and Management System) with a conventional caries-management system (CCMS) in terms of individual caries-risk, caries lesions, and secondarily, oral-health-related knowledge/attitudes/practices, and number of appointments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: With ethical approval, 240 6-7-year olds from six Colombian clinics were recruited. Trained examiners conducted the following baseline/follow-up assessments: Caries risk (Cariogram-ICCMS); caries severity/activity staging (ICDAS-merged combined radiographic/visual); sealants/fillings/missing teeth, and oral-health-related knowledge, attitudes and practices. Children received their randomly allocated (ICCMS/CCMS) care from dental practitioners. Outcomes: caries-risk control (children); caries-progression control (tooth surfaces); oral-health-related knowledge/attitudes/practices improvement (parents/children), and appointments' number (children). Descriptive and non-parametric/parametric bivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Three-year-follow-up: n = 187 (77.9%; ICCMS: n = 92; CCMS: n = 95) disclosed a baseline-to-3-year overall high-caries-risk children decrease (ICCMS: 60.9-0%, p < .001; CCMS: 54.7-5.3%, p < .001) (p > .05). ICCMS versus CCMS showed: fewer tooth-surface caries progression (6.2% vs 7.1%, p = .010) and fewer active-caries lesions (49.8% vs. 59.1%, p < .05); higher proportion of children with ≥2/day fluoride-toothpaste tooth-brushing practice (p < .05); similar mean number of appointments (10.9 ± 5.9 vs. 10.0 ± 3.8, p = .15). CONCLUSION: Both caries-management systems showed similar effectiveness in caries-risk control, with ICCMS more effectively controlling tooth-surface caries progression and improving toothbrushing practices.

Associations between SARS-CoV-2 variants and risk of COVID-19 hospitalization among confirmed cases in Washington State: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is dominated by variant viruses; the resulting impact on disease severity remains unclear. Using a retrospective cohort study, we assessed the hospitalization risk following infection with seven SARS-CoV-2 variants. METHODS: Our study includes individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in the Washington Disease Reporting System with available viral genome data, from December 1, 2020 to January 14, 2022. The analysis was restricted to cases with specimens collected through sentinel surveillance. Using a Cox proportional hazards model with mixed effects, we estimated hazard ratios (HR) for hospitalization risk following infection with a variant, adjusting for age, sex, calendar week, and vaccination. FINDINGS: 58,848 cases were sequenced through sentinel surveillance, of which 1705 (2.9%) were hospitalized due to COVID-19. Higher hospitalization risk was found for infections with Gamma (HR 3.20, 95%CI 2.40-4.26), Beta (HR 2.85, 95%CI 1.56-5.23), Delta (HR 2.28 95%CI 1.56-3.34) or Alpha (HR 1.64, 95%CI 1.29-2.07) compared to infections with ancestral lineages; Omicron (HR 0.92, 95%CI 0.56-1.52) showed no significant difference in risk. Following Alpha, Gamma, or Delta infection, unvaccinated patients show higher hospitalization risk, while vaccinated patients show no significant difference in risk, both compared to unvaccinated, ancestral lineage cases. Hospitalization risk following Omicron infection is lower with vaccination. CONCLUSION: Infection with Alpha, Gamma, or Delta results in a higher hospitalization risk, with vaccination attenuating that risk. Our findings support hospital preparedness, vaccination, and genomic surveillance. SUMMARY: Hospitalization risk following infection with SARS-CoV-2 variant remains unclear. We find a higher hospitalization risk in cases infected with Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, but not Omicron, with vaccination lowering risk. Our findings support hospital preparedness, vaccination, and genomic surveillance.

Real-life Effectiveness of Omalizumab in Patients with Severe Allergic Asthma: RELIEF Study.

Introduction: Patients with severe allergic asthma (SAA) are at risk of severe exacerbations. Omalizumab is recommended as an add-on treatment for patients with uncontrolled SAA, despite high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and long acting ß2-agonist combination therapy (standard therapy).RELIEF was a prospective, open label, multicenter study conducted to assess the real-life effectiveness of omalizumab co-administered with standard therapy in patients with SAA for 24 months. Methods: A total of 347 patients aged ≥ 6 years with SAA were enrolled, 285 of whom (8 pediatrics and 277 adolescents and adults) completed this 24-month study. Compared with the 12 months prior to baseline, the mean number of exacerbations was reduced in the overall population at any time interval during the study. Proportion of patients with no exacerbations increased to 77.7% at 24 months from 32.6% at 12 months prior to baseline. A reduction in healthcare resource utilization was also observed. The mean number of specialist visits reduced from baseline (5.8 visits) to 2.4 visits at Month 24. Results: The mean asthma control test score was >19 at every time-point during the study. The rate of Global Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness (GETE) for asthma response significantly increased at Months 18 and 24 (P <0.05) compared to baseline. Pulmonary function remained relatively stable for the overall study population. There were no new or unexpected safety findings in the study. Conclusion: RELIEF study showed that add-on therapy with omalizumab is effective in reducing exacerbations, healthcare utilization, and improving GETE score in patients with SAA uncontrolled by standard therapy.

Patrón de distribución de severidad de fluorosis: ¿qué nos dice sobre exposición local a fluoruros? / Padrão de distribuição de severidade da fluorose: Que nos diz sobre exposição local ao fluoretos? / Distribution pattern of enamel fluorosis severity: What is it telling us about local fluoride exposure?

Resumen Introducción y objetivo: la severidad de la fluorosis dental refleja exposición a fluoruros durante el desarrollo del esmalte. Recientemente se han reportado asociaciones entre la exposición prenatal y postnatal a fluoruros y efectos negativos en el neurodesarrollo. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir y comparar la severidad y el patrón de distribución de la fluorosis en las denticiones primaria y permanente, como base para discutir la temporalidad de la exposición en niños viviendo en áreas endémicas en el departamento del Huila. Materiales y métodos: odontólogos entrenados diagnosticaron fluorosis en 840 niños (preescolares y escolares) de cuatro municipios usando el índice de Thylstrup & Fejerskov. Para estimar la prevalencia de las diferentes severidades, cada niño se clasifico de acuerdo con la severidad más alta en boca. La distribución de la prevalencia de severidades por grupo etario y tipo de dentición se reportan como tasas de prevalencia (%). Resultados: la prevalencia en preescolares y escolares fue de 97.2% y 99.9%, respectivamente y la fluorosis moderada la más prevalente (75.6% y 63.5%, respectivamente). En ambas denticiones, la fluorosis leve fue más prevalente en los dientes anteriores que en posteriores. Las severidades moderada y severa tuvieron mayor prevalencia en dientes posteriores que en anteriores. Conclusiones: el patrón de distribución de la severidad de la fluorosis sugiere exposición prenatal y postnatal a fluoruros, por encima de los niveles recomendados. Este estudio resalta la importancia de la alidación de la fluorosis del dental como un potencial biomarcador histórico de exposición a luoruros en momentos críticos para el neurodesarrollo.

Resumo Introdução e objetivo: a severidade da fluorose dentária reflete a exposição a fluoretos durante o desenvolvimento do esmalte. Recentemente, associações entre a exposição pré-natal e pós-natal ao fluoretos e efeitos negativos no desenvolvimento neurológico foram relatadas. O objetivo deste estudo é descrever e comparar o padrão de severidade e distribuição da fluorose na dentição decídua e permanente, como intuito para a discussão sobre a temporalidade da exposição em crianças moradoras em áreas endêmicas de fluorose no departamento de Huila, Colômbia. Materiais e métodos: Cirurgiões-dentistas treinados diagnosticaram fluorose em 840 crianças (pré-escolares e escolares) de quatro municípios, utilizando o índice de Thylstrup & Fejerskov. Para estimar a prevalência dos diferentes estágios de severidade, cada criança foi classificada de acordo com o escore mais severo da boca. A distribuição da prevalência de fluorose nos diferentes estágios de severidade por faixa etária e tipo de dentição é apresentada como taxa de prevalência (%). Resultados: a prevalência de fluorose em pré-escolares foi de 97,2% e em escolares de 99,9%. Fluorose moderada foi a mais prevalente (75,6% e 63,5%, respectivamente). Em ambas as dentições, a fluorose leve foi mais prevalente nos dentes anteriores do que nos posteriores. Porém, tanto fluorose moderada como severa foram mais prevalentes nos dentes posteriores do que nos anteriores. Conclusões: o padrão de distribuição da severidade da fluorose sugere uma exposição pré- e pós-natal a fluoretos acima de níveis recomendados. Este estudo salienta a importância da validação da fluorose dentária como um potencial biomarcador histórico da exposição ao fluoretos durante momentos críticos para o neurodesenvolvimento.

Abstract Introduction and objective: dental fluorosis severity reflects fluoride exposure during dental enamel development. Recently, prenatal and postnatal exposure to fluoride has been associated with negative neurodevelopmental outcomes. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the severity and distribution pattern of dental fluorosis in the primary and permanent dentition, as a basis to discuss the timing and extent of fluoride exposure of children living in endemic areas of fluorosis in the department of Huila. Materials and methods: 840 children (preschoolers and schoolchildren) from four municipalities of the Huila Department were examined by trained dentists for dental fluorosis using the Thylstrup & Fejerskov Index. To estimate the prevalence of severities of fluorosis, each child was classified according to the most severe score. The distribution of the prevalence of enamel fluorosis severity by age-group and type of dentition were reported as prevalence rates (%). Results: Prevalence of dental fluorosis in preschoolers was of 97.2% and in schoolers of 99.9%. For both preschoolers and schoolers moderate fluorosis was the most prevalent (75.6% and 63.5%, respectively). For both primary and permanent teeth, mild fluorosis was more prevalent in anterior teeth than in posterior teeth. Moderate and severe fluorosis were more prevalent in posterior teeth than in anterior teeth. Conclusions: the distribution pattern of the severity of dental fluorosis suggests both prenatal and postnatal exposure to fluoride above recommended levels. This study raises the importance of the validation of dental fluorosis as a potential historical biomarker of fluoride exposure at moments that are critical for neurodevelopment.

Anestesia en la línea roja de la COVID-19 / Anesthetic management in the red line of COVID-19

Introducción: Se exponen los resultados de la intervención anestesiológica de pacientes sospechosos o confirmados con COVID-19 (enfermedad por el nuevo coronavirus), atendidos en un hospital clínico quirúrgico designado para la atención de pacientes en el curso de la pandemia. Objetivo: Presentar las experiencias del manejo de los pacientes quirúrgicos afectados o sospechosos de contagio por el nuevo coronavirus (COVID-19). Métodos: Se recogieron los datos de todos los casos atendidos en el Hospital Militar Central Dr. Luis Díaz Soto fueran obstétricos (cesárea) o de otras especialidades (cirugía, ortopedia, urología). Resultados: Se realizaron 49 intervenciones anestésico-quirúrgicas, de ellas 13 cesáreas, 9 traqueostomías, 7 apendicectomías, 7 salpingectomías, 3 fracturas de cadera, y 1 amputaciones, 1 trepanación de cráneo, 2 drenajes de abscesos y 1 necrectomia, 1 nefrostomía, 1 nefrectomía, 1 cura y 2 laparotomías. Se realizaron las cesáreas con anestesia neuroaxialepidural (inyección única 13-26,5 por ciento) el resto de los procederes se realizaron con anestesia general orotraqueal (32-65,30 por ciento) y general endovenosa (4-8,16 por ciento). Fueron confirmados a la COVID-19 el 38,77 por ciento (19). Se egresaron a terapia intensiva 18 pacientes (36 por ciento), de ellos ventilados 12 (24 por ciento). Fueron casos sospechosos a la COVID-19, 30 casos para el 61,2 por ciento. Conclusiones: No ocurrieron accidentes anestésicos, o fallas en el control de la vía aérea, y no ocurrieron muertes perioperatorias. No existió personal contagiado con la COVID 19; el alto número de sospechosos constituyen un riesgo potencial de contagio(AU)

Introduction: The results are presented regarding anesthesiological intervention of patients suspected of or confirmed with COVID-19 (the disease caused by the new coronavirus), treated in a clinical surgical hospital designated for the care of patients during the pandemic. Objectives: To present the experiences regarding management of surgical patients affected by or suspected of infection by the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Methods: The data of all the cases treated in Hospital Militar Central Dr. Luis Díaz Soto were collected, regardless if they were obstetric cases (by cesarean section) or corresponding to other specialties (surgery, orthopedics, urology). Results: Forty-nine anesthetic-surgical interventions were performed, including thirteen caesarean sections, nine tracheostomies, seven appendectomies, the same number of salpingectomies, three hip fracture surgeries, and one amputation, one skull trepanation, two abscess drains and one necrectomy, one nephrostomy, one nephrectomy, one cure and two laparotomies. Cesarean sections were performed under neuraxial (epidural) anesthesia (thirteen single injections, accounting for 26.5 percent of cases). The rest of the procedures were performed under general orotracheal anesthesia (32 single injections, accounting for 65.30 percent of cases) and general intravenous anesthesia (4 single injections, accounting for 8.16 percent of cases). 38.77 percent (19) of cases were confirmed to COVID-19. Eighteen patients (36 percent) were discharged from the intensive care unit, twelve of which had been ventilated, a figure accounting for 24 percent of cases. There were thirty positive cases of COVID-19, accounting for 61.2 percent. Conclusions: There were no anesthetic accidents, failures in the airway control nor perioperative deaths. There were no personnel infected with COVID-19. The high number of suspects constitute a potential risk of contagion(AU)

CariesCare International adapted for the pandemic in children: Caries OUT multicentre single-group interventional study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive caries care has shown effectiveness in controlling caries progression and improving health outcomes by controlling caries risk, preventing initial-caries lesions progression, and patient satisfaction. To date, the caries-progression control effectiveness of the patient-centred risk-based CariesCare International (CCI) system, derived from ICCMS™ for the practice (2019), remains unproven. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic a previously planned multi-centre RCT shifted to this "Caries OUT" study, aiming to assess in a single-intervention group in children, the caries-control effectiveness of CCI adapted for the pandemic with non-aerosols generating procedures (non-AGP) and reducing in-office time. METHODS: In this 1-year multi-centre single-group interventional trial the adapted-CCI effectiveness will be assessed in one single group in terms of tooth-surface level caries progression control, and secondarily, individual-level caries progression control, children's oral-health behaviour change, parents' and dentists' process acceptability, and costs exploration. A sample size of 258 3-5 and 6-8 years old patients was calculated after removing half from the previous RCT, allowing for a 25% dropout, including generally health children (27 per centre). The single-group intervention will be the adapted-CCI 4D-cycle caries care, with non-AGP and reduced in-office appointments' time. A trained examiner per centre will conduct examinations at baseline, at 5-5.5 months (3 months after basic management), 8.5 and 12 months, assessing the child's CCI caries risk and oral-health behaviour, visually staging and assessing caries-lesions severity and activity without air-drying (ICDAS-merged Epi); fillings/sealants; missing/dental-sepsis teeth, and tooth symptoms, synthetizing together with parent and external-trained dental practitioner (DP) the patient- and tooth-surface level diagnoses and personalised care plan. DP will deliver the adapted-CCI caries care. Parents' and dentists' process acceptability will be assessed via Treatment-Evaluation-Inventory questionnaires, and costs in terms of number of appointments and activities. Twenty-one centres in 13 countries will participate. DISCUSSION: The results of Caries OUT adapted for the pandemic will provide clinical data that could help support shifting the caries care in children towards individualised oral-health behaviour improvement and tooth-preserving care, improving health outcomes, and explore if the caries progression can be controlled during the pandemic by conducting non-AGP and reducing in-office time. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively-registered-ClinicalTrials.gov-NCT04666597-07/12/2020: https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S000AGM4&selectaction=Edit&uid=U00019IE&ts=2&cx=uwje3h . Protocol-version 2: 27/01/2021.

SwabExpress: An End-to-End Protocol for Extraction-Free COVID-19 Testing.

BACKGROUND: The urgent need for massively scaled clinical testing for SARS-CoV-2, along with global shortages of critical reagents and supplies, has necessitated development of streamlined laboratory testing protocols. Conventional nucleic acid testing for SARS-CoV-2 involves collection of a clinical specimen with a nasopharyngeal swab in transport medium, nucleic acid extraction, and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). As testing has scaled across the world, the global supply chain has buckled, rendering testing reagents and materials scarce. To address shortages, we developed SwabExpress, an end-to-end protocol developed to employ mass produced anterior nares swabs and bypass the requirement for transport media and nucleic acid extraction. METHODS: We evaluated anterior nares swabs, transported dry and eluted in low-TE buffer as a direct-to-RT-qPCR alternative to extraction-dependent viral transport media. We validated our protocol of using heat treatment for viral inactivation and added a proteinase K digestion step to reduce amplification interference. We tested this protocol across archived and prospectively collected swab specimens to fine-tune test performance. RESULTS: After optimization, SwabExpress has a low limit of detection at 2-4 molecules/µL, 100% sensitivity, and 99.4% specificity when compared side by side with a traditional RT-qPCR protocol employing extraction. On real-world specimens, SwabExpress outperforms an automated extraction system while simultaneously reducing cost and hands-on time. CONCLUSION: SwabExpress is a simplified workflow that facilitates scaled testing for COVID-19 without sacrificing test performance. It may serve as a template for the simplification of PCR-based clinical laboratory tests, particularly in times of critical shortages during pandemics.

SwabExpress: An end-to-end protocol for extraction-free COVID-19 testing.

BACKGROUND: The urgent need for massively scaled clinical testing for SARS-CoV-2, along with global shortages of critical reagents and supplies, has necessitated development of streamlined laboratory testing protocols. Conventional nucleic acid testing for SARS-CoV-2 involves collection of a clinical specimen with a nasopharyngeal swab in transport medium, nucleic acid extraction, and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) (1). As testing has scaled across the world, the global supply chain has buckled, rendering testing reagents and materials scarce (2). To address shortages, we developed SwabExpress, an end-to-end protocol developed to employ mass produced anterior nares swabs and bypass the requirement for transport media and nucleic acid extraction. METHODS: We evaluated anterior nares swabs, transported dry and eluted in low-TE buffer as a direct-to-RT-qPCR alternative to extraction-dependent viral transport media. We validated our protocol of using heat treatment for viral activation and added a proteinase K digestion step to reduce amplification interference. We tested this protocol across archived and prospectively collected swab specimens to fine-tune test performance. RESULTS: After optimization, SwabExpress has a low limit of detection at 2-4 molecules/uL, 100% sensitivity, and 99.4% specificity when compared side-by-side with a traditional RT-qPCR protocol employing extraction. On real-world specimens, SwabExpress outperforms an automated extraction system while simultaneously reducing cost and hands-on time. CONCLUSION: SwabExpress is a simplified workflow that facilitates scaled testing for COVID-19 without sacrificing test performance. It may serve as a template for the simplification of PCR-based clinical laboratory tests, particularly in times of critical shortages during pandemics.

Evaluation of density, volume, height and rate of bone resorption of substitutes of autologous bone grafts for the repair of alveolar clefts in humans: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess clinical studies that compare synthetic or enriched natural materials to autologous osseous grafts among individuals with cleft lip and palate to determine which would be the substitute to autologous bone graft for alveolar cleft repair in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomized and controlled clinical trials on alveolar clefts treated with synthetic bone substitutes and autogenous bone grafts combined with osteoinductive factors compared with autogenous bone grafts alone (with ≥4-month follow-up and reporting clinical/radiographic data) were considered eligible. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Central databases were searched for articles published until February 2020. RESULTS: Of 73 eligible articles, 15 were included. Some inductive factors along with iliac crest bone decreased bone reabsorption, preserved the generated bone height/width, and reduced the required autologous bone graft volume. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP2) as an autologous bone graft substitute, demonstrated satisfactory alveolar defect healing, by avoiding autograft use. Many materials did not yield better outcomes than did autologous grafts; however, hydroxyapatite and collagen complex, hydroxyapatite agarose composite gel, acellular dermal matrix film, fibrin glue, platelet-rich plasma, and deproteinized bovine bone showed similar bone healing outcomes, being an alternative alveolar defect treatment. CONCLUSIONS: BMP2, as an osteoinductive factor along with a synthetic matrix, yields satisfactory bone healing and avoids the need for autologous bone grafts. However, high-quality RCTs are necessary to determine the most effective and safe concentration and protocol of BMP2 utilization as a substitute for the autologous iliac crest bone grafting.

The use of index teeth vs. full mouth in erosive tooth wear to assess risk factors in the diet: A cross-sectional epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess common dietary erosive-tooth-wear (ETW) risk in university students from an exotic-fruit country comparing index teeth vs. full mouth ETW assessment. METHODS: A risk factors' questionnaire was applied on 601 18-25 years old subjects in Bogotá-Colombia. Trained examiners assessed clinically: ETW (BEWE) on all buccal, occlusal and lingual surfaces and ICDAS caries experience (ICDAS-DMFS). Full-arch and index-teeth (buccal of upper-central incisors and occlusal of lower-first molars) maximum-BEWE score categorized patients into: with- (2-3) and without wear (0-1). These were compared in terms of demographic, clinical, dietary and other factors with crude and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Students' mean age was 20.0 ±â€¯1.9 (77.7% females). Most consumed fruits were erosive/extremely erosive (57%). Prevalence of wear was 73% (full-mouth) vs. 19.6% (index-teeth). Full-mouth-BEWE correlated significantly with teeth-index-BEWE score but low (0.31, p < 0.001). Besides anterior-teeth incisal surfaces, occlusal of lower molars (16%) and buccal of upper central incisors (3.3%) showed highest wear frequency. Straw use or 1 -h waiting for toothbrushing didn't show a protective effect. ETW was significantly associated on index teeth with frequent intakes of dietary acids (≥3 daily-acidic drinks and ≥4 daily-fruit portions) (single-variable-logistic regression: OR 4.41, p = 0.22 and OR 1.60, p = 0.035; multivariable-logistic regression: OR 4.47, p = 0.022 and OR 1.63, p = 0.036 respectively). No significant differences were noticed between groups when the full-mouth maximum score was used. CONCLUSION: This young cohort showed dietary ETW associated with frequent dietary acids' intakes and grading ETW on index teeth vs. full mouth was a more sensitive measurement method to assess underlying ETW risk factors. The teeth index has promising usefulness for the clinic and epidemiology. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Using index teeth (buccal of upper central incisors and occlusal of lower first molars) for ETW (BEWE) assessment allowed to show association in young adults between frequent daily exotic fruits/fruit juices dietary-acid consumption and ETW, representing a less time consuming clinical/epidemiological method of ETW measurement than a full mouth examination.