Publications by authors named "Esther C Barros"
Background: Proficiency testing (PT) is a tool for ensuring the validity of results of testing laboratories and is essential when laboratories are working with assays authorised for emergency use or implementing novel techniques for detecting emerging pathogens.
Methods: In collaboration with the National Health Institute of Colombia and with international support, we developed a qualitative PT for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A proficiency test item (PTI) based on reference material (research grade) produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) was prepared and characterised using three positive samples with varying concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) and two negative (control) samples.
Article Synopsis
- - Asymptomatic carriers (AC) of SARS-CoV-2 play a crucial role in the COVID-19 spread, making early diagnosis vital for pandemic control.
- - A study analyzed 76,162 ACs using national COVID-19 data, finding that younger age (≤26), male sex, and cases imported from various countries significantly increased the likelihood of being an AC.
- - The research highlights important sociodemographic factors related to ACs, aiming to enhance mass screening strategies and reduce transmission risks.
Introduction: Venezuela and Colombia both adopted measures of containment early in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Venezuela's ongoing humanitarian crisis has decimated its health care system, and forced millions of Venezuelans to flee through its porous border with Colombia. The extensive shared border, and illegal cross-border transit through improvised trails between the two countries are major challenges for public health authorities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Conducted a phylogenomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 from 88 infected people in various regions of Colombia.
- Identified eleven different lineages of the virus, indicating that there were multiple instances of the virus being introduced into the population.
- The most common lineages found were B.1 and B.1.5, with lineage B.1 linked to previous travel to areas with high infection risk.
Since its emergence in Wuhan (China) on December 2019, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread worldwide. After its arrival in South America in February 2020, the virus has expanded throughout the region, infecting over 900,000 individuals with approximately 41,000 reported deaths to date. In response to the rapidly growing number of cases, a number of different primer-probe sets have been developed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess the effectiveness of a dual rapid test compared to a single rapid test for syphilis and HIV screening.
Methods: A cluster-randomized open-label clinical trial was performed in 12 public antenatal care (ANC) centers in the cities of Bogotá and Cali, Colombia. Pregnant women who were over 14 years of age at their first antenatal visit and who had not been previously tested for HIV and syphilis during the current pregnancy were included.