Pobreza en México: Factor de vulnerabilidad para enfrentar los efectos del cambio climático

Poverty levels that occur in Mexico are a problem that is becoming increasingly acute in the different territorial levels. The shortage of financial resources for access to goods, services and cultural factor, constitute the main constraint to access an adequate standard of living, which provide comprehensive security conditions in the population. This condition is a determining factor in the inability to deal with the various hydrometeorological and geological phenomena that occur as part of climatic changes in the Earth system, a situation that undermines the population living in poverty to suffer the ravages in all dimensions: physical, economic and social. Climate change, seen as a process that has been more acute due to human activity in the different territorial levels weakens the ability of response and prevention of disasters caused by it, not just vulnerable groups, rather, intervention government agencies, leading to moments of political, economic and social instability in the different action levels (local, state and national).Rev. iberoam. bioecon. cambio clim. Vol. 1 num 2, 2015, pág. 1-19Los niveles de pobreza que se presentan en México constituyen una problemática que se agudiza cada vez más en las diferentes escalas territoriales. La escasez de recursos económicos para el acceso a bienes, servicios y el factor cultural, constituyen la principal restricción para acceder a un nivel de vida adecuado, el cual proporcione condiciones integrales de seguridad en la población. Dicha condición resulta un factor determinante en la imposibilidad para hacer frente a los distintos fenómenos hidrometeorológicos y geológicos que se presentan como parte de las alteraciones climáticas en el sistema terrestre, situación que vulnera a la población en condición de pobreza a padecer los estragos en todas sus dimensiones: física, económica y social. El cambio climático, visto como un proceso que ha venido agudizándose debido a la actividad antrópica en las diferentes escalas territoriales, debilita la capacidad de respuesta y prevención de desastres ocasionados por éste, no sólo en los grupos vulnerables, más bien, en la intervención de las instancias gubernamentales, lo que conlleva a momentos de inestabilidad política, económica y social en los diferentes niveles de actuación (local, estatal y nacional).Rev. iberoam. bioecon. cambio clim. Vol. 1 num 2, 2015, pág. 1-1

Persistence of COVID-19 Symptoms after Recovery in Mexican Population

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a highly contagious infectious disease that has caused many deaths worldwide. Despite global efforts, it continues to cause great losses, and leaving multiple unknowns that we must resolve in order to face the pandemic more effectively. One of the questions that has arisen recently is what happens, after recovering from COVID-19. For this reason, the objective of this study is to identify the risk of presenting persistent symptoms in recovered from COVID-19. This case-control study was conducted in one state of Mexico. Initially the data were obtained from the participants, through a questionnaire about symptoms that they had at the moment of the interview. Initially were captured the collected data, to make a dataset. After the pre-processed using the R project tool to eliminate outliers or missing data. Obtained finally a total of 219 participants, 141 recovered and 78 controls. It was used confidence level of 90% and a margin of error of 7%. From results it was obtained that all symptoms have an associated risk in those recovered. The relative risk of the selected symptoms in the recovered patients goes from 3 to 22 times, being infinite for the case of dyspnea, due to the fact that there is no control that presents this symptom at the moment of the interview, followed by the nausea and the anosmia with a RR of 8.5. Therefore, public health strategies must be rethought, to treat or rehabilitate, avoiding chronic problems in patients recovered from COVID-19

Poverty in Mexico: Vulnerability factor for face the effects of climate change.

Los niveles de pobreza que se presentan en México constituyen una problemática que se agudiza cada vez más en las diferentes escalas territoriales. La escasez de recursos económicos para el acceso a bienes, servicios y el factor cultural, constituyen la principal restricción para acceder a un nivel de vida adecuado, el cual proporcione condiciones integrales de seguridad en la población. Dicha condición resulta un factor determinante en la imposibilidad para hacer frente a los distintos fenómenos hidrometeorológicos y geológicos que se presentan como parte de las alteraciones climáticas en el sistema terrestre, situación que vulnera a la población en condición de pobreza a padecer los estragos en todas sus dimensiones: física, económica y social. El cambio climático, visto como un proceso que ha venido agudizándose debido a la actividad antrópica en las diferentes escalas territoriales, debilita la capacidad de respuesta y prevención de desastres ocasionados por éste, no sólo en los grupos vulnerables, más bien, en la intervención de las instancias gubernamentales, lo que conlleva a momentos de inestabilidad política, económica y social en los diferentes niveles de actuación (local, estatal y nacional

Ecological corridors in Costa Rica: An evaluation applying landscape structure, fragmentation-connectivity process, and climate adaptation

In recent years, ecological corridors have been proposed on a global scale as a response to the accelerated process of natural ecosystem fragmentation, mainly as a result of human impact. In accordance with this trend, Costa Rica has undergone a process of implementing ecological corridors as to promote ecological connectivity since the 1990s, with the establishment of 44 ecological corridors covering 38% of Costa Rica's territory. Nevertheless, there is no research evaluating these corridors on a national scale that takes into account their functions as conduits, barriers, and habitats. Thus, the objective of this research was to describe the process of biological corridor formation in Costa Rica, and to evaluate the potential effectiveness of corridors by considering aspects of landscape structure and ecological processes related to connectivity and fragmentation. We used the National Program of Ecological Corridors database along with coverage analysis from Landsat images from 2000 and 2015.The composition of the biological corridors was determined at the landscape scale and related to potential to maintain a specific population of wild mammals weighing more than 10 kg. The composition of the ecological corridors was highly variable in terms of total area, proportion of natural habitat, and fragmentation process. Most biological corridors are capable of maintaining viable populations of Pecari tajacu and Tapir bairdii, while none could maintain populations of Panthera onca and Tayassu pecari. Only 50% of the biological corridors had improved in their connectivity. Therefore, public policies, such as master plans focusing on ecosystem restoration must be established. In addition, only two biological corridors incorporate the majority of elevation ranges (Life Zones) present in the country, which reduces the potential of the corridor system as a tool for climate change adaptation.En los últimos años se han propuesto corredores ecológicos a escala global como respuesta al proceso acelerado de fragmentación de los ecosistemas naturales, principalmente como consecuencia del impacto humano. De acuerdo con esta tendencia, Costa Rica ha experimentado un proceso de implementación de corredores ecológicos para promover la conectividad ecológica desde la década de 1990, con el establecimiento de 44 corredores ecológicos que cubren el 38% del territorio costarricense. Sin embargo, no existe una investigación que evalúe estos corredores a escala nacional que tenga en cuenta sus funciones como conductos, barreras y hábitats. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de esta investigación fue describir el proceso de formación del corredor biológico en Costa Rica y evaluar la efectividad potencial de los corredores considerando aspectos de la estructura del paisaje y los procesos ecológicos relacionados con la conectividad y la fragmentación. Utilizamos la base de datos del Programa Nacional de Corredores Ecológicos junto con análisis de cobertura de imágenes Landsat de 2000 y 2015. La composición de los corredores biológicos se determinó a escala de paisaje y se relacionó con el potencial para mantener una población específica de mamíferos silvestres que pesa más de 10 kg . La composición de los corredores ecológicos fue muy variable en términos de área total, proporción de hábitat natural y proceso de fragmentación. La mayoría de los corredores biológicos son capaces de mantener poblaciones viables de Pecari tajacu y Tapir bairdii, mientras que ninguno pudo mantener poblaciones de Panthera onca y Tayassu pecari. Solo el 50% de los corredores biológicos habían mejorado en su conectividad. Por lo tanto, se deben establecer políticas públicas, como planes maestros enfocados en la restauración de ecosistemas. Además, solo dos corredores biológicos incorporan la mayoría de rangos de elevación (Zonas de Vida) presentes en el país, lo que reduce el potencial del sistema de corredores como herramienta de adaptación al cambio climático.Universidad Nacional, Costa RicaEscuela de Ciencias GeográficasInstituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestr

International Impact of COVID-19 on the Diagnosis of Heart Disease

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has adversely affected diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases. Its effects on delivery of diagnostic care for cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death worldwide, have not been quantified. Objectives: The study sought to assess COVID-19's impact on global cardiovascular diagnostic procedural volumes and safety practices. Methods: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing alterations in cardiovascular procedure volumes and safety practices resulting from COVID-19. Noninvasive and invasive cardiac testing volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared with those from March 2019. Availability of personal protective equipment and pandemic-related testing practice changes were ascertained. Results: Surveys were submitted from 909 inpatient and outpatient centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 108 countries. Procedure volumes decreased 42% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 64% from March 2019 to April 2020. Transthoracic echocardiography decreased by 59%, transesophageal echocardiography 76%, and stress tests 78%, which varied between stress modalities. Coronary angiography (invasive or computed tomography) decreased 55% (p < 0.001 for each procedure). In multivariable regression, significantly greater reduction in procedures occurred for centers in countries with lower gross domestic product. Location in a low-income and lower–middle-income country was associated with an additional 22% reduction in cardiac procedures and less availability of personal protective equipment and telehealth. Conclusions: COVID-19 was associated with a significant and abrupt reduction in cardiovascular diagnostic testing across the globe, especially affecting the world's economically challenged. Further study of cardiovascular outcomes and COVID-19–related changes in care delivery is warranted

Impact of COVID-19 on Diagnostic Cardiac Procedural Volume in Oceania: The IAEA Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Objectives: The INCAPS COVID Oceania study aimed to assess the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac procedure volume provided in the Oceania region. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed comparing procedure volumes within March 2019 (pre-COVID-19) with April 2020 (during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic). Sixty-three (63) health care facilities within Oceania that perform cardiac diagnostic procedures were surveyed, including a mixture of metropolitan and regional, hospital and outpatient, public and private sites, and 846 facilities outside of Oceania. The percentage change in procedure volume was measured between March 2019 and April 2020, compared by test type and by facility. Results: In Oceania, the total cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was reduced by 52.2% from March 2019 to April 2020, compared to a reduction of 75.9% seen in the rest of the world (p<0.001). Within Oceania sites, this reduction varied significantly between procedure types, but not between types of health care facility. All procedure types (other than stress cardiac magnetic resonance [CMR] and positron emission tomography [PET]) saw significant reductions in volume over this time period (p<0.001). In Oceania, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) decreased by 51.6%, transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) by 74.0%, and stress tests by 65% overall, which was more pronounced for stress electrocardiograph (ECG) (81.8%) and stress echocardiography (76.7%) compared to stress single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) (44.3%). Invasive coronary angiography decreased by 36.7% in Oceania. Conclusion: A significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was seen across all facility types in Oceania and was likely a function of recommendations from cardiac societies and directives from government to minimise spread of COVID-19 amongst patients and staff. Longer term evaluation is important to assess for negative patient outcomes which may relate to deferral of usual models of care within cardiology

Reduction of cardiac imaging tests during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Italy. Findings from the IAEA Non-invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Background: In early 2020, COVID-19 massively hit Italy, earlier and harder than any other European country. This caused a series of strict containment measures, aimed at blocking the spread of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery was also affected when resources were diverted towards care of COVID-19 patients, including intensive care wards. Aim of the study: The aim is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac imaging in Italy, compare to the Rest of Europe (RoE) and the World (RoW). Methods: A global survey was conducted in May–June 2020 worldwide, through a questionnaire distributed online. The survey covered three periods: March and April 2020, and March 2019. Data from 52 Italian centres, a subset of the 909 participating centres from 108 countries, were analyzed. Results: In Italy, volumes decreased by 67% in March 2020, compared to March 2019, as opposed to a significantly lower decrease (p < 0.001) in RoE and RoW (41% and 40%, respectively). A further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 summed up to 76% for the North, 77% for the Centre and 86% for the South. When compared to the RoE and RoW, this further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 in Italy was significantly less (p = 0.005), most likely reflecting the earlier effects of the containment measures in Italy, taken earlier than anywhere else in the West. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic massively hit Italy and caused a disruption of healthcare services, including cardiac imaging studies. This raises concern about the medium- and long-term consequences for the high number of patients who were denied timely diagnoses and the subsequent lifesaving therapies and procedures