Incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 infection in children in public schools in Bogotá, Colombia, from July to November, 2020 / Incidencia de síntomas respiratorios agudos y COVID-19 en niños de escuelas públicas de Bogotá, Colombia, entre julio y noviembre de 2020

Introduction: More than 90% of children infected with COVID-19 worldwide developed mild to moderate disease. In Colombia, during 2020, COVID-19 infections in children stayed below 9.2% of the total cases, with no trends for age group or sex. Objective: To estimate the incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 in children from public schools in Bogotá, Colombia during the second semester of 2020. Material and methods: A telephone survey was conducted in over 5,000 scholar children. Antecedents and use of health services were informed. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: A total of 151.470 persons per day accounting for an IR of 157,8 per 100,000 people; almost three times the rate reported by the official surveillance system in the city. Conclusion: A lack of diagnosis and consultation in children was found compared to the general population. Further research is needed to elucidate the true burden of the disease in children.

Introducción. Más del 90% de los niños infectados con COVID-19 en el mundo, desarrollaron enfermedad leve a moderada. En Colombia, durante el 2020, la infección del COVID-19 en niños se mantuvo por debajo de 9,2 % del total de los casos sin tendencias por grupo de edad o sexo. Objetivo. Estimar la incidencia de síntomas respiratorios agudos y COVID19 en niños de escuelas públicas en Bogotá (Colombia) durante el segundo semestre de 2020. Materiales y métodos. Se hizo una encuesta telefónica en más de 5.000 escolares. Se recolectó información de antecedentes médicos y uso de servicios de salud. La información obtenida se describió mediante estadística descriptiva. Resultados. Se contabilizó un total de 151.470 personas al día para una tasa de incidencia de 157,8 en 100.000 personas, casi tres veces la tasa reportada por el sistema de vigilancia oficial de la ciudad. Conclusión. Se encontraron deficiencias en el diagnóstico y consulta de los niños, al compararlos con la población general. Se necesita más investigación para dilucidar la verdadera carga de la enfermedad en la población infantil.

Ajustes Curriculares de las Escuelas de Odontología Chilenas en Periodo de Pandemia COVID-19

RESUMEN: Dada la expansión de la pandemia por COVID-19, se han implementado diversas medidas restrictivas, las cuales han afectado todos los ámbitos, incluido el educacional. A nivel internacional, las universidades han realizado diversos ajustes a sus programas curriculares para adaptarse a esta situación, siendo la carrera de Odontología particularmente afectada a causa de los cierres de clínicas y retraso en la adquisición de competencias clínicas. El objetivo del estudio es describir los principales ajustes curriculares de las carreras de Odontología de universidades chilenas, realizadas en periodo de pandemia en el año 2020, recopiladas a través de una encuesta. Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo, a través de una encuesta enviada a todos los representantes de las escuelas de Odontología de universidades chilenas. Se recopiló información sobre el contexto sanitario local, accesibilidad a las clínicas odontológicas, disponibilidad de tratamientos, vía de enseñanza, apoyo al bienestar mental e implicaciones futuras en la educación dental. De las 27 escuelas de Odontología nacionales, se obtuvieron 23 respuestas. Un 57% de las escuelas tuvo limitaciones en el acceso y en el tipo de tratamientos odontológicos realizados en sus centros clínicos. Todas las escuelas implementaron una modalidad online para reemplazar las actividades lectivas presenciales y un 42 % realizó actividades clínicas presenciales durante el año 2020. Todas las evaluaciones teóricas fueron realizadas de forma online, y un 82 % de las evaluaciones de competencias clínicas se retrasaron para ser realizadas posteriormente. Debido a las medidas restrictivas de la pandemia, las clases presenciales, evaluaciones teóricas y algunas actividades prácticas se realizaron en modalidad online. Dependiendo del contexto comunal y políticas internas universitarias, algunas escuelas de odontología pudieron realizar actividades prácticas presenciales. El plan de estudios académico en las escuelas de odontología se ha visto afectado de diferentes maneras como resultado de la pandemia de COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused several disruptions in medical education worldwide. Universities made curricular adjustments in order to adapt to this situation. Dentistry has been particularly affected by the lockdown measures resulting in the closure of dental clinics and the disruption of face to face personal training of students. The objective of this study was to describe the main curriculum adjustments made by the dental schools in Chile during 2020. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out which included representatives from all Dental Schools in Chilean Universities. The survey requested information related to local sanitary situations, accessibility to dental clinics, availability of treatments, teaching modality, support for mental well-being and future implications of dental education. Of 27 dental schools a total of 23 responses were received. It was found that 57 % of schools had limited access to dental clinics. All schools had implemented online modality to replace face-to-face theoretical training, 42 % were able to conduct clinical activities during 2020 and 82 % of clinical competency assessments were postponed. Due to the restrictive measures of the pandemic, the face-to-face classes, theoretical evaluations and some practical activities were performed online. Depending on the communal context, dental schools were able to execute practical activities. The academic curriculum in dental schools has been severely affected in different ways as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 infection in children in public schools in Bogotá, Colombia, from July to November, 2020 / Incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 infection in children in public schools in Bogotá, Colombia, from July to November, 2020

INTRODUCTION: More than 90% of children infected with COVID-19 worldwide developed mild to moderate disease. In Colombia, during 2020, COVID-19 infections in children stayed below 9.2% of the total cases, with no trends for age group or sex. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 in children from public schools in Bogotá, Colombia during the second semester of 2020. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A telephone survey was conducted in over 5,000 scholar children. Antecedents and use of health services were informed. Descriptive statistics were used. RESULTS: A total of 151.470 persons per day accounting for an IR of 157,8 per 100,000 people; almost three times the rate reported by the official surveillance system in the city. CONCLUSION: A lack of diagnosis and consultation in children was found compared to the general population. Further research is needed to elucidate the true burden of the disease in children.

Introducción. Más del 90% de los niños infectados con COVID-19 en el mundo, desarrollaron enfermedad leve a moderada. En Colombia, durante el 2020, la infección del COVID-19 en niños se mantuvo por debajo de 9,2 % del total de los casos sin tendencias por grupo de edad o sexo. Objetivo. Estimar la incidencia de síntomas respiratorios agudos y COVID19 en niños de escuelas públicas en Bogotá (Colombia) durante el segundo semestre de 2020. Materiales y métodos. Se hizo una encuesta telefónica en más de 5.000 escolares. Se recolectó información de antecedentes médicos y uso de servicios de salud. La información obtenida se describió mediante estadística descriptiva. Resultados. Se contabilizó un total de 151.470 personas al día para una tasa de incidencia de 157,8 en 100.000 personas, casi tres veces la tasa reportada por el sistema de vigilancia oficial de la ciudad. Conclusión. Se encontraron deficiencias en el diagnóstico y consulta de los niños, al compararlos con la población general. Se necesita más investigación para dilucidar la verdadera carga de la enfermedad en la población infantil.

Flea-borne Rickettsia species in fleas, Caldas department, Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Rickettsioses are zoonotic diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Rickettsia and transmitted to man by means of arthropod vectors such as ticks, fleas, mites and lice. Historically, Caldas Department has reported a significant number of cases of murine typhus to the Colombian national health surveillance system, and consequent studies of flea-borne rickettsiosis identified the circulation of Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia felis in multiple municipalities. Our aim was to genotype species of Rickettsia detected in fleas collected from domestic and wild mammals in Caldas. METHODOLOGY: Flea samples were taken by convenience sampling from dogs, cats and wild mammals (rodents and marsupials) in 26 municipalities. Specimens were classified by current taxonomic keys and pooled for DNA extraction and molecular screening for Rickettsia spp. by PCR amplification of gltA, htrA and sca5 genes. Positive samples were genotyped by enzyme digestion (htrA) and sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 1388 flea samples were collected. Rickettsia DNA was amplified in 818 (gltA), 883 (htrA) and 424 (sca5) flea pools. Alignment analysis with available Rickettsia DNA sequences showed greater similarity with R. asembonensis (gltA) and with R. felis (sca5 and htrA). Restriction pattern was compatible with R. felis. R. typhi was not identified. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the presence and high prevalence of R. asembonensis and R. felis in fleas from domestic and wild animals in different municipalities from Caldas Department.

Comparative genomic analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing-like strains revealed specific genetic variations associated with virulence and drug resistance.

Isolates of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage 2/East-Asian are considered one of the most successful strains due to their increased pathogenicity, hyper-virulence associated with drug resistance, and high transmission. Recent studies in Colombia have shown that the Beijing-like genotype is associated with multidrug-resistance and high prevalence in the southwest of the country, but the genetic basis of its success in dissemination is unknown. In contribution to this matter, we obtained the whole sequences of six genomes of clinical isolates assigned to the Beijing-like genotype. The genomes were compared with the reference genome of M. tuberculosis H37Rv and 53 previously published M. tuberculosis genomes. We found that the six Beijing-like isolates belong to a modern Beijing sub-lineage and share specific genomic variants: i.e. deletion in the PPE8 gene, in Rv3806c (ubiA) responsible of high ethambutol resistance and in Rv3862c (whiB6) which is involved in granuloma formation and virulence, are some of them. Moreover, each isolated has exclusively single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related with cell wall processes and cell metabolism. We identified polymorphisms in genes related to drug resistance that could explain the drug-resistant phenotypes found in the six isolates from Colombia. We hypothesize that changes due to these genetic variations contribute to the success of these strains. Finally, we analyzed the IS6110 insertion sequences finding very low variance between them, suggesting that SNPs is the major cause of variability found in Beijing-like strains circulating in Colombia.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Clinical Beijing-Like Strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis 323 Using the PacBio Real-Time Sequencing Platform.

We report here the whole-genome sequence of the multidrug-resistant Beijing-like strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis 323, isolated from a 15-year-old female patient who died shortly after the initiation of second-line drug treatment. This strain is representative of the Beijing-like isolates from Colombia, where this lineage is becoming a public health concern.

NClassG+: A classifier for non-classically secreted Gram-positive bacterial proteins.

BACKGROUND: Most predictive methods currently available for the identification of protein secretion mechanisms have focused on classically secreted proteins. In fact, only two methods have been reported for predicting non-classically secreted proteins of Gram-positive bacteria. This study describes the implementation of a sequence-based classifier, denoted as NClassG+, for identifying non-classically secreted Gram-positive bacterial proteins. RESULTS: Several feature-based classifiers were trained using different sequence transformation vectors (frequencies, dipeptides, physicochemical factors and PSSM) and Support Vector Machines (SVMs) with Linear, Polynomial and Gaussian kernel functions. Nested k-fold cross-validation (CV) was applied to select the best models, using the inner CV loop to tune the model parameters and the outer CV group to compute the error. The parameters and Kernel functions and the combinations between all possible feature vectors were optimized using grid search. CONCLUSIONS: The final model was tested against an independent set not previously seen by the model, obtaining better predictive performance compared to SecretomeP V2.0 and SecretPV2.0 for the identification of non-classically secreted proteins. NClassG+ is freely available on the web at http://www.biolisi.unal.edu.co/web-servers/nclassgpositive/.