Coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 with other respiratory pathogens in outpatients from Ecuador.

Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has enormously impacted healthcare systems, especially in low and middle-income countries. Coinfections with respiratory pathogens in COVID-19 patients may contribute to worse outcomes. This study identified the presence of 12 viral coinfections and pneumococcal carriers among individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection in outpatient and community settings in Ecuador.

Massive testing in the Galapagos Islands and low positivity rate to control SARS-CoV-2 spread during the first semester of the COVID-19 pandemic: a story of success for Ecuador and South America.

Introduction: During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America, countries like Ecuador, Peru and Colombia experienced chaotic scenarios with public health systems collapsing and lack of testing capacity to control the spread of the virus. In main cities like Guayaquil in Ecuador, dramatic situations such as corpses in the streets were internationally broadcasted.

Methods: While the COVID-19 pandemic was devastating South America, SARS-CoV-2 transmission was successfully managed in the Galapagos Islands due to the implementation of a massive screening strategy including hospitalized and community-dwelling populations, and travel restrictions facilitated by its geographical location (972 km from the Ecuadorian continental territory).

Innovations in surgical training: exploring the role of artificial intelligence and large language models (LLM).

The landscape of surgical training is rapidly evolving with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and its integration into education and simulation. This manuscript aims to explore the potential applications and benefits of AI-assisted surgical training, particularly the use of large language models (LLMs), in enhancing communication, personalizing feedback, and promoting skill development. We discuss the advancements in simulation-based training, AI-driven assessment tools, video-based assessment systems, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) platforms, and the potential role of LLMs in the transcription, translation, and summarization of feedback.

Sustained COVID-19 community transmission and potential super spreading events at neglected afro-ecuadorian communities assessed by massive RT-qPCR and serological testing of community dwelling population.

Background: Neglected ethnic minorities from underserved rural populations in Latin America are highly vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to poor health infrastructure and limited access to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnosis. Esmeraldas is a mainly rural province of the Coastal Region of Ecuador characterized by a high presence of Afro-Ecuadorian population living under poverty conditions.

Objective: We herein present a retrospective analysis of the surveillance SARS-CoV-2 testing in community-dwelling population from Esmeraldas carried out by our university laboratory in collaboration with regional health authorities during the first week of October 2020, in a region where no public SARS-CoV-2 detection laboratory was available at that time.