Impact of a ROP mentoring program in rural regions of Colombia.

Purpose: To assess the impact of a retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) mentoring program in four rural regions with 31 neonatal units in Colombia between 2011 and 2019.

Methods: Indicators recommended by the national program were used for assessment: screening coverage of eligible preterm newborns, proportion screened with any stage of ROP, and proportion of screened infants treated. Data were also collected on the number of units with ROP services and birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) of babies treated.

Construction of multilevel statistical models in health research: Foundations and generalities.

This topic review aims to present a global vision of multilevel analysis models’ applicability to health research, explaining its theoretical, methodological, and statistical foundations. We describe the basic steps to build these models and examples of their application according to the data hierarchical structure. It ir worth noticing that before using these models, researchers must have a rationale for needing them, and a statistical evaluation accounting for the variance percentage explained by the observations grouping effect.

Clinical Outcomes of Medical Management Options for Chronic Anal Fissures in a Long-Term Follow-up: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Topical treatments and botulinum toxin injections are valid options for the management of patients with chronic anal fissures (CAF), but little is known about the efficacy of these techniques in long-term follow-up. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness, given to clinical outcomes, of medical treatments with calcium antagonists, nitroglycerin, and botulinum toxin on CAF treatment in adults.

Method: A systemic review and meta-analysis developed according to PRISMA [PLoS Med.

Incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 infection in children in public schools in Bogotá, Colombia, from July to November, 2020.

Introduction: More than 90% of children infected with COVID-19 worldwide developed mild to moderate disease. In Colombia, during 2020, COVID-19 infections in children stayed below 9.2% of the total cases, with no trends for age group or sex.

Socioeconomic variation of multimorbidity in Colombian older adults.

Multimorbidity (MM) prevalence among older adults is increasing worldwide. Variations regarding the socioeconomic characteristics of the individuals and their context have been described, mostly in high-income settings. However, further research is needed to understand the effect of the coexistence of infectious diseases along with socioeconomic factors regarding MM.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood immunisation in Colombia.

Objective: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccination coverage in Colombia by age group, rural/urban residence, state and vaccine type.

Design: Ecological study of official monthly vaccination records.

Setting: Vaccination records from the Colombian Ministry of Health (March-October 2019 and 2020).

COVID-19 distribution in Bogotá, Colombia: effect of poverty during the first 2 months of pandemic.

Background: The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has especially affected individuals living in conglomerate settings having poverty as common characteristic. However, evidence of the association between COVID-19 severity and social determinants is still scarce, particularly, for Latin American countries. The objective was to assess the effect of socioeconomic deprivation in the clinical severity of COVID-19 infection among different localities of Bogotá, Colombia.

Are we using the right method to estimate the number of COVID-19 cases?

The great concern stemming from the current COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for governments and international organizations around the world. Likewise, the diagnosis has played an important role in the prioritization processes, in particular, for the identification and follow-up of cases. In this context, PCR and serological tests have become the international standard; however, some limitations, as well as the scope of these techniques, must be understood in terms of population numbers.

Performance of rapid IgM-IgG combined antibody tests in the occupational surveillance of COVID-19 in Colombian enterprises.

Introduction: Rapid IgM-IgG combined antibody tests can play an important role in the COVID-19 surveillance by supporting the diagnosis of infection, assessing the immune response, and verifying the progress towards herd immunity. Objective: To evaluate the performance of rapid IgM-IgG combined antibody tests in COVID-19 occupational surveillance in a group of Colombian enterprises. Materials and methods: We used the occupational surveillance data from companies that had performed periodic serological tests on all personnel from the end of April to the beginning of July, 2020.

Performance of the Colombian surveillance system during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid evaluation of the first 50 days.

Introduction: The COVID pandemic is a challenge for public health surveillance and an opportunity to assess its strengths and weaknesses to improve the response. Objective: To evaluate the performance of the Colombian public health surveillance system during the first 50 days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Materials and methods: We analyzed the data published between March 6 and April 24, 2020, by the Instituto Nacional de Salud and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Coinfection of other respiratory pathogens and HIV in COVID-19 patients: Is there a pattern?

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) has led to the elaboration of multiple studies to increase knowledge and understanding, hence, having the ability to accomplish an adequate and timely diagnosis and give an optimal treatment according to the patient's condition. The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 pose a series of challenges both in understanding and delimiting the disease secondary to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is due to the fact that the main axis of this disease is the endothelial compromise and the production of a "cytokine storm," triggering multiple organ failure and death.

Quality of life and perceived social support in people with HIV in Bogotá, Colombia.

Introduction: People living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries tend to have a lower quality of life and less social support compared with those in developed countries. Objective: To explore the association between affective social support or social support generating confidence and each dimension of the quality of life related to health among people with HIV/AIDS from Bogotá. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of people living with HIV/AIDS using convenience sampling of a care program in a hospital network in Bogotá.