Objectives Information on the recently COVID‐19‐associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) entity is scarce. We describe eight CAPA patients, compare them to colonised ICU patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), and review the published literature from Western countries. Methods Prospective study (March to May, 2020) that included all COVID‐19 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital. Modified AspICU and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) criteria were used. Results COVID‐19‐associated pulmonary aspergillosis was diagnosed in eight patients (3.3% of 239 ICU patients), mostly affected non‐immunocompromised patients (75%) with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) receiving corticosteroids. Diagnosis was established after a median of 15 days under mechanical ventilation. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed in two patients with positive Aspergillus fumigatus cultures and galactomannan (GM) index. Serum GM was positive in 4/8 (50%). Thoracic CT scan findings fulfilled EORTC/MSG criteria in one case. Isavuconazole was used in 4/8 cases. CAPA‐related mortality was 100% (8/8). Compared with colonised patients, CAPA subjects were administered tocilizumab more often (100% vs. 40%, p = .04), underwent longer courses of antibacterial therapy (13 vs. 5 days, p = .008), and had a higher all‐cause mortality (100% vs. 40%, p = .04). We reviewed 96 similar cases from recent publications: 59 probable CAPA (also putative according modified AspICU), 56 putative cases and 13 colonisations according AspICU algorithm; according EORTC/MSG six proven and two probable. Overall, mortality in the reviewed series was 56.3%. Conclusions COVID‐19‐associated pulmonary aspergillosis must be considered a serious and potentially life‐threatening complication in patients with severe COVID‐19 receiving immunosuppressive treatment.

A phylogenetic analysis of 17 species belonging to the genus Kluyveromyces and 12 reference and outgroup species was performed using mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase II gene sequences. The genus Kluyveromyces appears as a polyphyletic taxon formed by species included within the following four main groups. The Kluyveromyces phaffii group encompasses the species Kluyveromyces blattae, K. phaffii and Kluyveromyces yarrowii. The Kluyveromyces marxianus group is a monophyletic group consisting of the species Kluyveromyces aestuarii, Kluyveromyces dobzhanskii, Kluyveromyces lactis, K. marxianus and Kluyveromyces wickerhamii. The monophyletic Kluyveromyces thermotolerans group is formed by K. thermotolerans, Kluyveromyces waltii and Saccharomyces kluyveri (which appears in the mitochondrial tree as the sister clade of the K. marxianus group). Finally, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae group contains the remaining Kluyveromyces species, as well as the reference Saccharomyces species (sensu lato and sensu stricto) and Candida glabrata (the phylogenetic relationships within this group are unclear according to the bootstrap test). The phylogenetic relationships obtained for this mitochondrial gene are, for the most part, congruent with previous trees based on nuclear rRNA sequences, except for the position of K. yarrowii and the close relationship between the K. marxianus and K. thermotolerans groups. These differences, as well as the existence of these groups, are discussed in the context of previous studies based on phenotypic, genetic and molecular data. Although additional studies are required to decipher the phylogenetic relationships between the genus Kluyveromyces and the closely related genera Saccharomyces, Torulaspora and Zygosaccharomyces, future changes to their taxonomic status should take account of the existence of these four groups of Kluyveromyces species.

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Background There is a paucity of knowledge on the long-term outcome in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. We describe a cohort of patients with a constellation of symptoms occurring four weeks after diagnosis causing different degrees of reduced functional capacity. Although different hypothesis have been proposed to explain this condition like persistent immune activation or immunological dysfunction, to date, no physiopathological mechanism has been identified. Consequently, there are no therapeutic options besides symptomatic treatment and rehabilitation. Methods We evaluated patients with symptoms that persisted for at least 4 weeks after COVID-19. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected. Blood tests, including inflammatory markers, were conducted, and imaging studies made if deemed necessary. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in plasma, stool, and urine were performed. Patients were offered antiviral treatment (compassionate use). Results We evaluated 29 patients who reported fatigue, muscle pain, dyspnea, inappropriate tachycardia, and low-grade fever. Median number of days from COVID-19 to positive RT-PCR in extra-respiratory samples was 55 (39–67). Previous COVID-19 was mild in 55% of the cases. Thirteen patients (45%) had positive plasma RT-PCR results and 51% were positive in at least one RT-PCR sample (plasma, urine, or stool). Functional status was severely reduced in 48% of the subjects. Eighteen patients (62%) received antiviral treatment. Improvement was seen in most patients (p = 0.000) and patients in the treatment group achieved better outcomes with significant differences (p = 0.01). Conclusions In a cohort of COVID-19 patients with persistent symptoms, 45% of them have detectable plasma SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Our results indicate possible systemic viral persistence in these patients, who may benefit of antiviral treatment strategies.

La competencia digital es una de las competencias básicas del ciudadano del siglo XXI y es además una de las competencias transversales de todas las universidades españolas. En este contexto, cobra especial relevancia la formación en competencias digitales de los estudiantes universitarios y para ello hemos llevado a cabo la experiencia que describimos en este artículo. Hemos diseñado una propuesta formativa basada en un método de aprendizaje por tareas y sustentada en las 5 dimensiones de la competencia digital de la Comisión Europea. Hemos recogido datos de evaluación con un diseño pretest-postest aplicando un cuestionario. Tras evaluar la experiencia, nuestros estudiantes han expresado su satisfacción con la metodología y han puesto en evidencia la adquisición de la competencia.