La química da mucho juego...¿jugamos?

¿Quién no ha jugado alguna vez? ¿Qué juegos conocemos? ¿Podemos motivar a los alumnos a través del juego?. Desde nuestra experiencia durante el curso 2016-2017 y utilizando adaptaciones de dos juegos tradicionales de mesa podemos observar que los alumnos participan y aprenden jugando y que el profesor puede utilizar el juego para evaluar las competencias y habilidades de los participantes. Con el juego los docentes dejamos de ser el centro de la clase o del laboratorio y pasamos a ser meros conductores del proceso de aprendizaje además de facilitar el trabajo en pequeños grupos. Los juegos utilizados son una adaptación de juegos de mesa que utilizan preguntas relacionadas con la Química. Se ha desarrollado material didáctico en forma de cartulinas con cuatro tipos de preguntas adaptadas a diferentes asignaturas de diferentes grados y que se pueden utilizar tanto en el laboratorio de prácticas como en el aula. Los juegos se han utilizado en asignaturas de los grados de Química, Biología e Ingeniería Química en tutorías, seminarios o en el laboratorio o bien al final del mismo o durante los periodos en los que los alumnos tienen “tiempos muertos” dado el desarrollo de las prácticas

COVID-19 outbreak in long-term care facilities from Spain. Many lessons to learn.

Background/objectivesTo analyze mortality, costs, residents and personnel characteristics, in six long-term care facilities (LTCF) during the outbreak of COVID-19 in Spain.DesignEpidemiological study.SettingSix open LTCFs in Albacete (Spain).Participants198 residents and 190 workers from LTCF A were included, between 2020 March 6 and April 5. Epidemiological data were also collected from six LTCFs of Albacete for the same period of time, including 1,084 residents.MeasurementsBaseline demographic, clinical, functional, cognitive and nutritional variables were collected. 1-month and 3-month mortality was determined, excess mortality was calculated, and costs associated with the pandemics were analyzed.ResultsThe pooled mortality rate for the first month and first three months of the outbreak were 15.3% and 28.0%, and the pooled excess mortality for these periods were 564% and 315% respectively. In facility A, the percentage of probable COVID-19 infected residents were 33.6%. Probable infected patients were older, frail, and with a worse functional situation than those without COVID-19. The most common symptoms were fever, cough and dyspnea. 25 residents were transferred to the emergency department, 21 were hospitalized, and 54 were moved to the facility medical unit. Mortality was higher upon male older residents, with worse functionality, and higher comorbidity. During the first month of the outbreak, 65 (24.6%) workers leaved, mainly with COVID-19 symptoms, and 69 new workers were contracted. The mean number of days of leave was 19.2. Costs associated with the COVID-19 in facility A were estimated at € 276,281/month, mostly caused by resident hospitalizations, leaves of workers, staff replacement, and interventions of healthcare professionals.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic posed residents at high mortality risk, mainly in those older, frail and with worse functional status. Personal and economic costs were high