COVID-19 may lower quality of life when infections and deaths increase: A longitudinal study in the Peruvian jungle.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is a multifactorial concept on the perception of the individual's wellbeing underpinned by environmental, psychological, and physical factors. Several studies have shown changes in QoL in the COVID-19 pandemic and may be due to increases in mortality rates, however, no study has investigated this among Peruvian jungle dwellers. Here, we have sought to estimate the QoL of individuals before and after the increase in cases and deaths from COVID-19. Methods: A questionnaire-based longitudinal study was conducted in 102 inhabitants (mean 40.75 ± 7.49 years). The Spanish version of the WHOQOL-BREF was used in two stages: April and June. The first stage was accomplished before the first confirmed case of COVID-19, and the second stage was when the daily mortality rate was 3.5% with an incidence of 87%. Results: Sixty (54.8%) participants were women, 67 (61.9%) were >31 years, and 38 (34.5%) and 32 (29.1%) participants had primary and secondary education, respectively. In the first and second stage we obtained an overall mean QoL of 46.65 ± 23.2 and 35 ± 27.7 points, respectively. Individuals had significantly lower QoL in the face of increased deaths in physical (p = 0.001), mental (p = 0.028) and environmental (p = 0.001) health domains, with the latter having the greatest impact (51.84 ± 5.81 vs. 16.66 ± 5.55 points). Conclusion: Quality of life of Peruvian jungle dwellers is reduced during periods of increased mortality and incidence by COVID-19. Preventive strategies aimed at reducing the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and global wellbeing of individuals living in the Amazon are recommended to Peruvian authorities.

Alterations in the coagulation markers did not show differences with the severity of COVID-19 in Peruvian patients: A cross-sectional single-center study.

Background and Aims: COVID-19 is a pandemic disease that can lead to altered lung function, systemic inflammatory events, and altered coagulation. During severe stages of the disease, changes in coagulation homeostasis increase, leading to thrombosis, and increased risk of death. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess coagulation markers by COVID-19 severity in Peruvian adults. Methods: During the second wave of infections, we included 186 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 (mean age 53.3 ± 16.3 years). Patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe stages of COVID-19, and coagulation markers included prothrombin time (PT), activated partial prothrombin time (aPTT), fibrinogen, d-dimer, and platelet count. Results: Of the total, 120 (64.5%) were males and 39 (21%) were in the intensive care unit. We determine 104 (55.9%), 43 (24.7%), and 36 (19.4%) patients in mild, moderate, and severe stages of COVID-19, respectively. In the severe stage of COVID-19, patients had an average concentration of PT, aPTT, fibrinogen, d-dimer, and platelets of 13.2 ± 0.9 s, 28.9 ± 4.3 s, 679.4 ± 185.1 mg/dL, 1.9 ± 3.1 µg/mL, and 272.8 ± 88.9 cel/10 mm,3 respectively. We found no differences in the concentration of each marker according to severity (p < 0.05). Patients with severe COVID-19 had altered the aPTT, fibrinogen, d-dimer, and PT in 31 (57.4%), 48 (88.9%), 37 (68.5%), and 15 (27.8%) cases, respectively. Conclusions: Our results showed that although there is an alteration in coagulation markers, mainly fibrinogen and d-fiber, there are no differences in concentration according to the severity of COVID-19.

Detection of pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila from two rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farms in Peru.

Fish farms are one of the principal food industries located in peri-urban and rural communities that use available resources to ensure the quality of their products. However, trout can suffer from bacterial infections affecting the sector and being a key component of human health risk. We aimed to identify and characterize Enterobacteriaceae in 46 trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in two fish farms in Lima, Peru. Adult trouts older than seven weeks (> 200 grams weight) were included. Cultures were performed in duplicate (n=192 trials) with swabs from the squamous surface and visceral cavity. The isolates were identified with the Vitek® 2 Compact system, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were interpreted with the CLSI VET 03-A guide. At El Molino and El Angelito fish farms, 66 (68.8%) and 57 (59.4%) isolates were obtained. The most frequently isolated species were Escherichia coli (56.8%), Proteus sp. (4.2%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.6%). E. coli was present in all sampling areas, and Aeromonas hydrophila was only present in one open viscera sample at El Angelito fish farm. A. hydrophila showed antibiotic resistance to Ampicillin/Sulbactam (≥32 MIC), Oxytetracycline (>8 MIC), Imipenem (8 MIC), Levofloxacin (>8 MIC), and Ceftazidime (≥64 MIC). Our results suggest the presence of multi-resistant A. hydrophila in O. mykiss. Further studies are needed to understand the developmental context of A. hydrophila, which is crucial to the food industry, aquaculture and public health.

As pisciculturas são uma das principais indústrias alimentícias localizadas em comunidades peri-urbanas e rurais que utilizam os recursos disponíveis para garantir a qualidade de seus produtos. No entanto, a truta pode sofrer de infecções bacterianas que afetam o setor e são um componente chave do risco para a saúde humana. Nosso objetivo foi identificar e caracterizar Enterobacteriaceae em 46 trutas (Oncorhynchus mykiss) em duas pisciculturas em Lima, Peru. Foram incluídas trutas adultas com mais de sete semanas (> 200 gramas de peso). As culturas foram realizadas em duplicata (n=192 tentativas) com swabs da superfície escamosa e da cavidade visceral. Os isolados foram identificados com o sistema Vitek® 2 Compact, e as concentrações inibitórias mínimas (CIM) foram interpretadas com o guia CLSI VET 03-A. Nas pisciculturas El Molino e El Angelito foram obtidos 66 (68,8%) e 57 (59,4%) isolados. As espécies mais frequentemente isoladas foram Escherichia coli (56,8%), Proteus sp. (4,2%) e Klebsiella pneumoniae (2,6%). E. coli estava presente em todas as áreas de amostragem, e Aeromonas hydrophila estava presente apenas em uma amostra de vísceras abertas na piscicultura El Angelito. A. hydrophila mostrou resistência a antibióticos para Ampicilina/Sulbactam (≥32 MIC), Oxitetraciclina (>8 MIC), Imipenem (8 MIC), Levofloxacina (>8 MIC) e Ceftazidima (≥64 MIC). Nossos resultados sugerem a presença de A. hydrophila multirresistente em O. mykiss. Mais estudos são necessários para entender o contexto de desenvolvimento de A. hydrophila, que é crucial para a indústria de alimentos, aquicultura e saúde pública.

The End of Life Accompanied by COVID-19: A Qualitative Study on Grief During the First OutBreak In Peru (Part I).

Due to the massive deaths and high level of contagion brought about by COVID-19, burial practices and the way we bury our dead are being affected by SARS-CoV-2 confinement and control measures. Here, we aimed to examine the changing of death, dying, and mourning during the first wave and quarantine applied in Peru with the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020. Using a qualitative approach, 15 participants who lost a family member because of COVID-19 were interviewed by telephone and video call. Our results revealed that death in isolation, the loss of rituals, and the farewell to relatives have dramatically affected family members. Peruvian funeral practices were altered by health provisions, making it a challenge to accompany relatives at the end of life. This way of coping with death can affect family wellbeing, for which no interventions have yet been proposed to improve the quality of life during bereavement.

A systematic review of the impact of corruption in Latin America during the spread of the first wave of COVID-19.

As the Covid-19 pandemic crisis raged in Latin America, numerous acts of corruption affected containment strategies and weakened institutional systems. A systematic review was conducted during the first wave of contagion in 2020 to analyse the relationship between corruption and Covid-19 in Latin American countries, highlighting its components and the institutions involved. Following the PRISMA guidelines, scientific databases and prepublications were searched using the terms (((SARS-CoV-2) OR (Covid-19)) AND ((Corruption [Mesh]) AND (Latin America))). Seventy-two studies were included in the initial search, 36 in MEDLINE/PubMed, 20 in Scielo, and 11 prepublications. Of the 25 eligible studies, none met the required standard for inclusion. Although corruption is endemic in Latin America, its levels and impact during the first wave of Covid-19 contagion have not been quantified.

Substance Use in Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Latin America: A Systematic Review and a Call for Reports.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a remarkable change in the behaviour of Healthcare workers (HCWs) around the world. However, there is a lack of evidence on substance use among HCWs in Latin America. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the current frequency of substance use among Latin American among HCWs. Methods: We searched 8 databases (PubMed, Scopus, ScientDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scielo, LILACS and Latindex), 4 public prepublication servers (SocArXiv, medRxiv, bioRxiv and Preprints) and Google scholar from 1/9/2019 to 11/1/2021. We determined the frequency of each study based on original studies, scientific letters, and clinical trials in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Results: A total of 17 175 study articles were identified from electronic databases and preprints, and 2 cross-sectional studies conducted in 2020 were included in the qualitative analysis. Both studies included HCWs but did not perform a differential analysis. The first was developed by the Pan-American Health Organization and included interviewees from 35 countries, while the second was conducted with 1145 Brazilian participants. Both studies showed increases in substance use during the pandemic, with alcohol being the most commonly used substance (30%), but PAHO's study reported a 13.8% increase in self-reported heavy-episodic drinking, with differences among genders (males, 15.4%), age groups (highest increase in the 40-49 age group, 16.5%) and area of residence (urban with 14%). The second study showed that 21 32% of participants reported initiating psychoactive substance use, 29.3% added some substance to their initial use and 4% of them had to replace the substance, mainly due to difficulty of access. Other substances of abuse that showed significant increases were tobacco (0.5%) and marijuana (0.3%). Conclusion: Overall, despite the analysis of the 2 studies, the results provided are not a conclusive description of the frequency of substance use by HCWs in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is required to understand the impact of the pandemic on drug abuse in the region. Protocol Registration: The protocol has been registered on 30 November 2021 on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with ID: CRD420212919700.

Fungal, parasitological, and bacterial coinfection in a severely ill COVID-19 patient in Peru.

COVID-19 patients are prone to coinfections during their hospitalization. These coinfections are challenging as they involve longer hospital stays, high costs, and higher risk of mortality. Here, we present a case of a patient with multi-infection by resistant parasites, fungi, and bacteria during his hospitalization in a hospital in Lima, Peru.

Six-sigma and quality planning of TORCH tests in the Peruvian population: a single-center cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To ensure the health of newborns, it is necessary to perform high-quality diagnostic tests. The TORCH panel is a set of tests that identifies infectious pathogens such as Toxoplasma (Toxo) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) that are common in low-setting populations. We performed TORCH panel quality planning using six sigma in a reference laboratory at Peru. RESULTS: This was a cross-sectional study. TORCH tests include Toxo, Rubella, CMV, and Herpes. We processed all samples by fourth-generation ELISA on the GEMINI XCR200 analyzer (Diatron, Budapest, Hungary). We obtained the imprecision from the annual data of the external quality assessment plan and we used the CLSI EP12-A3 guideline. In a total of 44,788 analyses, the average imprecision was 3.69 ± 1.47%, and CMV had lower imprecision (2.3 and 2.6% for IgM and IgG, respectively). Quality planning of the TORCH panel allowed estimating the sigma value that ranged from 4 to 10 (average 7 ± 2 sigma), where rubella had the highest values (10 for IgM and 8 for IgG) while HSV2 had the lowest values (4 for IgM and 5 for IgG). Our results suggest the optimal performance of half of the markers including Toxoplasma, Rubella, and CMV in the Peruvian population.

Oral health problems in high-performance athletes at 2019 Pan American Games in Lima: a descriptive study.

INTRODUCTION: Dental care is provided for high-performance athletes at national and international sports events. Elite athletes may seek care for sports-related injuries and pre-existing oral diseases. Previous studies indicate an association between oral health problems and negative performance impacts in elite athletes. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of the most common oral pathologies in high-performance athletes during the emergency dental care performed at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games (JPL-19). METHODOLOGY: All reports of athletes (≥18 years old, of both sexes, from 41 countries) who received emergency dental care at Pan American Villas during the JPL-19 were included. Injuries and types of oral diseases were classified according to the Injury and Disease Surveillance System proposed by the International Olympic Committee. RESULTS: Of the 6680 participating athletes, 76 (1.14%) presented as dental emergencies, 90.8% (69/76) of the athletes seen presented pre-existing oral pathological conditions, the most frequent were periodontal diseases (34%, 26/76) and dental caries (29%, 22/76). Among the sports with the most cases, there were 22 (29%) in athletics, 6 (8%) in soccer, and 6 (8%) in taekwondo. The most frequent dental emergencies came from Peru, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Grenada, and Venezuela. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-existing oral diseases were more frequent than sports-related accidents. The most prevalent diseases were periodontal disease and dental caries disease. It is necessary to implement new care strategies for athletes, based on prevention, before and during sports competitions.