Assessing Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Lessons Learned From the Covid-19 Pandemic in Four South American Countries: Agenda for the Future

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic emerged in a context that lacked adequate prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) activities, and global, regional, and national leadership. South American countries were among world\u27s hardest hit by the pandemic, accounting for 10.1% of total cases and 20.1% of global deaths. METHODS: This study explores how pandemic PPR were affected by political, socioeconomic, and health system contexts as well as how PPR may have shaped pandemic outcomes in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. We then identify lessons learned and advance an agenda for improving PPR capacity at regional and national levels. We do this through a mixed-methods sequential explanatory study in four South American countries based on structured interviews and focus groups with elite policy makers. RESULTS: The results of our study demonstrate that structural and contextual barriers limited PPR activities at political, social, and economic levels in each country, as well as through the structure of the health care system. Respondents believe that top-level government officials had insufficient political will for prioritizing pandemic PPR and post-COVID-19 recovery programs within their countries\u27 health agendas. DISCUSSION: We recommend a regional COVID-19 task force, post-pandemic recovery, social and economic protection for vulnerable groups, improved primary health care and surveillance systems, risk communication strategies, and community engagement to place pandemic PPR on Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru and other South American countries\u27 national public health agendas

Effectiveness and Adherence to Closed Face Shields in the Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission: A Non-inferiority Randomized Controlled Trial in a Middle-Income Setting (COVPROSHIELD)

BACKGROUND: The use of respiratory devices can mitigate the spread of diseases such as COVID-19 in community settings. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of closed face shields with surgical face masks to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in working adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bogotá, Colombia. METHODS: An open-label non-inferiority randomized controlled trial that randomly assigned participants to one of two groups: the intervention group was instructed to wear closed face shields with surgical face masks, and the active control group was instructed to wear only surgical face masks. The primary outcome was a positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test, IgG/IgM antibody test for SARS-CoV-2 detection, or both during and at the end of the follow-up period of 21 days. The non-inferiority limit was established at - 5%. RESULTS: A total of 316 participants were randomized, 160 participants were assigned to the intervention group and 156 to the active control group. In total, 141 (88.1%) participants in the intervention group and 142 (91.0%) in the active control group completed the follow-up. PRIMARY OUTCOME: a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result was identified in one (0.71%) participant in the intervention group and three (2.1%) in the active control group. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the absolute risk difference was - 1.40% (95% CI [- 4.14%, 1.33%]), and in the per-protocol analysis, the risk difference was - 1.40% (95% CI [- 4.20, 1.40]), indicating non-inferiority of the closed face shield plus face mask (did not cross the non-inferiority limit). CONCLUSIONS: The use of closed face shields and surgical face masks was non-inferior to the surgical face mask alone in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in highly exposed groups. Settings with highly active viral transmission and conditions such as poor ventilation, crowding, and high mobility due to occupation may benefit from the combined use of masks and closed face shields to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04647305 . Registered on November 30, 2020

Assessing pandemic preparedness, response, and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in four south American countries: agenda for the future

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic emerged in a context that lacked adequate prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) activities, and global, regional, and national leadership. South American countries were among world’s hardest hit by the pandemic, accounting for 10.1% of total cases and 20.1% of global deaths.MethodsThis study explores how pandemic PPR were affected by political, socioeconomic, and health system contexts as well as how PPR may have shaped pandemic outcomes in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. We then identify lessons learned and advance an agenda for improving PPR capacity at regional and national levels. We do this through a mixed-methods sequential explanatory study in four South American countries based on structured interviews and focus groups with elite policy makers.ResultsThe results of our study demonstrate that structural and contextual barriers limited PPR activities at political, social, and economic levels in each country, as well as through the structure of the health care system. Respondents believe that top-level government officials had insufficient political will for prioritizing pandemic PPR and post-COVID-19 recovery programs within their countries’ health agendas.DiscussionWe recommend a regional COVID-19 task force, post-pandemic recovery, social and economic protection for vulnerable groups, improved primary health care and surveillance systems, risk communication strategies, and community engagement to place pandemic PPR on Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru and other South American countries’ national public health agendas

Fagoterapia, alternativa para el control de las infecciones bacterianas. Perspectivas en Colombia

Bacteria easily acquire resistance to antimicrobial agents; this reduces the number of effective antibiotics available to treat bacterial infections. Food contamination by bacteria also generates important economic losses and health risks. Products for human consumption must be free of antibiotics used in clinical treatments, and the control of bacteria with antimicrobials is strictly regulated; however, there is a lack of development of new antibiotics. As a result, the development of new antimicrobial strategies is vital. Viruses that infect bacteria called bacteriophages (phages) have been proposed as an alternative treatment in an approach known as phage-therapy. Several studies have evaluated and demonstrated their effectiveness against pathogenic bacteria; currently, there are private companies dedicated to the development of new products based on phage cocktails, to control some bacterial infections. In Colombia, there is no previous information about the use of phages, but phage-therapy represents a great opportunity to use the diversity of the native microbiota. In this review, we present the perspectives for phage-therapy in Colombia as a treatment against bacterial infections

Transferencia horizontal de genes arsC entre microorganismos aislados del suelo contaminado con arsénico

The study of recent evolution of the arsC genes amplified from microorganisms inhabiting a Colombian oil-polluted soil with high concentrations of arsenic was performed through the isolation of 26 bacterial morphotypes resistant to 10 mM of arsenate. A 353 bp fragment of the gene coding for arsenate-reductase enzyme (i.e. arsC), and a 500 bp 16S rDNA partial sequence were sequenced for 16 morphotypes of the 26 previously isolated. arsC sequences clustered on the same clade with previously reported arsC chromosomal genes of Escherichia coli and Shigella sp.; while 16S rDNA sequences grouped within the genus Pseudomonas and Bacillus. The GC content and the Codon Adaptation Index (CAI) were calculated and statistically compared, both supported the previous results. The Isolation–Migration model (IM model) was applied to calculate the genetic flux between each clade defined by the phylogenetic analysis. In general, the existence of recent horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events was confirmed, and the presence of the arsC gene in Bacillus sphaericus is reported for the first time

Fagoterapia, alternativa para el control de las infecciones bacterianas. Perspectivas en Colombia

Bacteria easily acquire resistance to antimicrobial agents; this reduces the number of effective antibiotics available to treat bacterial infections. Food contamination by bacteria also generates important economic losses and health risks. Products for human consumption must be free of antibiotics used in clinical treatments, and the control of bacteria with antimicrobials is strictly regulated; however, there is a lack of development of new antibiotics. As a result, the development of new antimicrobial strategies is vital. Viruses that infect bacteria called bacteriophages (phages) have been proposed as an alternative treatment in an approach known as phage-therapy. Several studies have evaluated and demonstrated their effectiveness against pathogenic bacteria; currently, there are private companies dedicated to the development of new products based on phage cocktails, to control some bacterial infections. In Colombia, there is no previous information about the use of phages, but phage-therapy represents a great opportunity to use the diversity of the native microbiota. In this review, we present the perspectives for phage-therapy in Colombia as a treatment against bacterial infections

Behavioral responses of <i>Rhodnius prolixus</i> to volatile organic compounds released <i>in vitro</i> by bacteria isolated from human facial skin

<div><p>Background</p><p>Previous studies have demonstrated the role of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by skin microbiota in the attraction of mosquitoes to humans. Recently, behavioral experiments confirmed the importance of VOCs released by skin microbiota in the attraction of <i>Rhodnius prolixus</i> (Hemiptera: Triatominae), a vector of Chagas disease.</p><p>Methods/Findings</p><p>In this study, we screened for VOCs released <i>in vitro</i> by bacteria isolated from human facial skin that were able to elicit behavioral responses in <i>R</i>. <i>prolixus</i>. The VOCs released <i>in vitro</i> by eight bacterial species during two growth phases were tested with adult <i>Rhodnius prolixus</i> insects using a dual-choice “T”-shaped olfactometer. In addition, the VOCs released by the bacteria were analyzed with headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The VOCs produced by <i>Staphylococcus capitis</i> 11C, <i>Staphylococcus warneri</i> and <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> 1 were attractive to <i>R</i>. <i>prolixus</i>, while the VOCs released by <i>Citrobacter koseri</i> 6P, <i>Brevibacterium epidermidis</i> and <i>Micrococcus luteus</i> 23 were non-attractive.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The results shown here indicate that VOCs released by bacteria isolated from human facial skin have a potential for biotechnological uses as a strategy to prevent the vectorial transmission of Chagas disease mediated by <i>Rhodnius prolixus</i>.</p></div