COVID‐19 in Latin America and the Caribbean: Two years of the pandemic

Schwalb, Alvaro; Armyra, Eleonora; Méndez-Aranda, Melissa; Ugarte-Gil, César

doi:10.1111/joim.13499

Cited by 31 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…By using a partial sequencing strategy and then confirmation with complete genome sequencing, we were able to detect and monitor the introduction and variable dissemination of VOCs and VOIs in Venezuela. The epidemiological behavior of the variants detected was similar to the one described in other countries, particularly in Latin America [33].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Description of a One-Year Succession of Variants of Interest and Concern of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela

Jaspe

Loureiro

Sulbarán

et al. 2022

Viruses

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Some of the lineages of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, exhibit higher transmissibility or partial resistance to antibody-mediated neutralization and were designated by WHO as Variants of Interests (VOIs) or Concern (VOCs). The aim of this study was to monitor the dissemination of VOIs and VOCs in Venezuela from March 2021 to February 2022. A 614 nt genomic fragment was sequenced for the detection of some relevant mutations of these variants. Their presence was confirmed by complete genome sequencing, with a correlation higher than 99% between both methodologies. After the introduction of the Gamma VOC since the beginning of the year 2021, the variants Alpha VOC and Lambda VOI were detected as early as March 2021, at a very low frequency. In contrast, the Mu VOI, detected in May 2021, was able to circulate throughout the country. After the detection of the Delta VOC in June 2021, it became the predominant circulating variant. With the arrival of the Omicron VOC in December, this variant was able to displace the Delta one in less than one month.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Description of a One-Year Succession of Variants of Interest and Concern of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela

Jaspe

Loureiro

Sulbarán

et al. 2022

Viruses

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“…Similarly, only Argentina and Brazil met the essential critical care bed requirement of 6 per 100,000 inhabitants. Moreover, qualified human resources for critically ill patients in Latin America are scarce ( 9 ). Therefore, when available means were heavily shifted towards adult care, the already deficient pediatric infrastructure suffered a shortage of hospital and PICU beds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the years 2020-2021 in Colombia, there was a notable decrease in morbidity and mortality due to respiratory diseases. On the other hand, child malnutrition increased significantly after lockdowns were lifted, evidencing low employment rates and high rates of informal work in the region and the country ( 9 , 16 ). In this series, only 4% of patients lived in peripheral rural areas even if infection rates were similar to those of cities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Clinical Characteristics of Children With SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Hospital in Latin America

et al. 2022

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Objective:COVID-19 infections have shown a different behavior in children than in adults. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric patients seen at a reference hospital in Colombia.MethodA descriptive, observational study in patients under the age of 18 years with a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 infection (RT-PCR or antigen) between April 2020 and March 2021. Multiple variables were studied, including demographic data, clinical characteristics, lab measurements, treatments administered, intensive care unit admission, and mortality.ResultsA total of 361 patients were included of whom 196 (54%) were males. The median age was 3 years. Of all the patients, 65 (18%) were asymptomatic. The majority of patients had no comorbidities (n = 225, 76%). In those who were symptomatic (n = 296, 82%), the most frequent complaints were fever (n = 178, 60%), nasal congestion (n = 164, 55%) and cough (n = 149, 50%). Chest x-rays were normal in 73 patients (50%). When abnormalities were found, interstitial (29%) and alveolar (12%) patterns were the most prevalent. One hundred and fifty-seven children (53%) required general ward hospitalization, and 24 patients (8%) required pediatric intensive care admission. The global mortality was 0.8% (3 patients).ConclusionsThe majority of cases were asymptomatic or mild. However, a significant percentage of patients required general ward admission, and some even required intensive care. The main symptom of COVID-19 infections in newborns was apnea. A second COVID-19 RT-PCR may be necessary to detect infections in critically ill patients with a high clinical suspicion of the disease if an initial test was negative.

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“…Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, there have been 65.4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1.65 million deaths reported in the LAC region. 1 Globally, LAC accounts for approximately 15 percent of all reported COVID-19 cases globally, and 28 percent of all reported deaths due to COVID-19.…”

Section: Covid-19 In Barbados and Brazilmentioning

confidence: 99%

Key Considerations: Engaging Young People in Latin American and the Caribbean in the COVID-19 Response

Bishop¹,

Correa²

2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected young people across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Since 2020, young people in LAC have faced many challenges, including adjusting to virtual learning environments, experiencing depression and loss, becoming unemployed, and more, with no clear sign of relief. Public health and social measures instituted by governments, while necessary to slow transmission of COVID-19, largely failed to consider the needs of young people. With few supports, young people were left to navigate the pandemic on their own.As the pandemic response evolves, key questions for practitioners and governments arise, including: What lessons can be learned from youth perspectives on the COVID-19 response thus far? And how can we better engage young people as a part of pandemic preparedness and response now and in the future?This brief draws on academic and grey literature exploring how COVID-19 affects young people, as well as literature describing the pandemic response in LAC and other regions. It offers considerations on how to engage youth by viewing them not only as a part of the affected population, but also as partners in the response. The brief is intended to guide humanitarian actors, public health officials, youth advocates, community engagement practitioners, and others involved in the COVID-19 response. It also adds to the existing evidence base on the impact of COVID-19 on young people. These lessons are useful to strengthen preparedness and programmatic responses to outbreaks.Young people are categorised as individuals between the ages of 10 and 24 years. Key considerations are shared for adolescents (aged 10-19) and youth (aged 15-24). Barbados and Brazil were chosen as case studies given their large number of young people (comprising just under 20 percent of the population in both countries), as well as their differing national responses to COVID-19, despite facing similar challenges during the pandemic. This brief is part of the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) series on social science considerations relating to COVID-19. It is part of a series authored by participants from the SSHAP Fellowship, Cohort 2, and was written by Stephanie Bishop and Juliana Corrêa. Contributions were provided by subject matter experts from UNICEF, the Barbados Ministry of Youth, and University of Espírito Santo. The brief was supported by the SSHAP team at the Institute of Development Studies and edited by Victoria Haldane (Anthrologica). This brief is the responsibility of SSHAP. KEY CONSIDERATIONS Adolescents (aged 10-19)• Provide community-based spaces for adolescents to safely share their experiences.Spaces that provide adolescent-friendly communication (both in terms of content and delivery platforms) allow young people to interact with peers, express themselves openly, and learn from peer experiences of coping during the pandemic. These settings should be virtual, mobile, and managed by community members trained in providing mental health and psychosocial support.SSHAP ...

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COVID‐19 in Latin America and the Caribbean: Two years of the pandemic

Cited by 31 publications

References 106 publications

Description of a One-Year Succession of Variants of Interest and Concern of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela

Description of a One-Year Succession of Variants of Interest and Concern of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela

Clinical Characteristics of Children With SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Hospital in Latin America

Key Considerations: Engaging Young People in Latin American and the Caribbean in the COVID-19 Response

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