COVID-19 pandemic; case studies: Australia, New Zealand and Cuba. Beldarraín Chaple ER, Gillies-Lekakis S. Rev haban cienc m éd [Internet]. 2020; 19(6) :e3657. Spanish only
Introduction: COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease produced by SARS-CoV-2. The first cases were diagnosed in Wuhan, China in December 2019; then the disease became a pandemic. The WHO declared it a global emergency on January 30, 2020. General data on the epidemic in Cuba, Australia and New Zealand are presented. Objective: To present the evolution of the epidemic in these countries as well as the measures taken and their results. Material and Methods: A descriptive, quantitative and qualitative research used documentary review to compare information about the epidemic in the selected countries. The information was obtained from medical journals, periodical press, and official websites and it was analyzed before June 13. Results: Australia had 7,283 cases of which 6,888 (94.48%) patients recovered. They performed 1,782,651diagnostic tests (69.91per 10,000 inhabitants) and the positivity was 0.4%. They reported 102 deaths with higher rates in people aged 70 -89 years, and a case fatality of 1.39%. New Zealand reported 1,515 cases, with 1,483 recovered (97.8%) and 22 deaths. They performed 310,297 (36 per 10,000 population) PCR tests, with 0.7% positive cases. The case fatality was 1.9%. Cuba accumulated 2,238 cases and 1,923 (86%) recovered. A total of 84 patients died, with a lethality of 3.75%. PCR tests (12.16 x 10,000 inhabitants) were performed reporting 1.7% of positive cases. Discussion: The control measures taken in each country, the effects on the population and the most vulnerable groups were analyzed. New Zealand was one of the most successful countries in the control and the rigor of the early measures taken. Conclusions: The control resulted from the political will to confront and contain the epidemic with drastic measures of social distancing, closure of borders and isolation of territories, application of diagnostic tests, and the existence of robust and free public health systems.
Exploratory analysis of internet search trends during the COVID-19 outbreak. Aquino Canchari CR, Chávez-Bustamante SG, Caira-Chuquineyra BS. Revista Cubana de Información en Ciencias de la Salud [revista en Internet]. 2020;31(3). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.36512/rcics.v31i3.1631
Objective: Conduct an exploratory analysis of Internet search trends during the 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak.
Methods: Google Trends was used to provide data on the relative volume of Google searches for terms related to 2019 coronavirus disease. The evaluation period was from January 01 to May 17, 2020.
Results: The search term used to know this pandemic was “coronavirus”, the most searched symptom was “fever”, followed by “sore throat” and “cough”, in addition, the interest of users to know the transmission routes of the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. As for preventive measures, the most searched term was “stay home”, followed by “facial masks”, “social distancing” and “washing hands”.
Conclusions: The results confirmed interest in COVID-19 via Internet. Using information from people’s Internet search interest could help formulate health policies to better control the 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak.
Histopathology and ultrastructural findings of fatal COVID-19 infections in Washington State: a case series. Benjamin T Bradley, Heather Maioli, Robert Johnston, Irfan Chaudhry, Susan L Fink, Haodong Xu, Behzad Najafian, Gail Deutsch, J Matthew Lacy, Timothy Williams, Nicole Yarid, Desiree A Marshall. The Lancet. Published Online July 16, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31305-2
Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of an ongoing pandemic, with increasing deaths worldwide. To date, documentation of the histopathological features in fatal cases of the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has been scarce due to sparse autopsy performance and incomplete organ sampling. We aimed to provide a clinicopathological report of severe COVID-19 cases by documenting histopathological changes and evidence of SARS-CoV-2 tissue tropism. Methods In this case series, patients with a positive antemortem or post-mortem SARS-CoV-2 result were considered eligible for enrolment. Post-mortem examinations were done on 14 people who died with COVID-19 at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (Seattle, WA, USA) and Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office (Everett, WA, USA) in negative-pressure isolation suites during February and March, 2020. Clinical and laboratory data were reviewed. Tissue examination was done by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and quantitative RT-PCR. Findings The median age of our cohort was 73·5 years (range 42–84; IQR 67·5–77·25). All patients had clinically significant comorbidities, the most common being hypertension, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnoea, and metabolic disease including diabetes and obesity. The major pulmonary finding was diffuse alveolar damage in the acute or organising phases, with five patients showing focal pulmonary microthrombi. Coronavirus-like particles were detected in the respiratory system, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract. Lymphocytic myocarditis was observed in one patient with viral RNA detected in the tissue. Interpretation The primary pathology observed in our cohort was diffuse alveolar damage, with virus located in the pneumocytes and tracheal epithelium. Microthrombi, where observed, were scarce and endotheliitis was not identified. Although other non-pulmonary organs showed susceptibility to infection, their contribution to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection requires further examination.
Socialism, Capitalism, and the COVID-19 Epidemic: Interview with Victor Wallis, International Critical Thought . Victor Wallis & Mingliang Zhuo (2020), 10:2, 153-160, DOI: 10.1080/21598282.2020.1783920
In the context of coronavirus raging around the world, in April 2020 Dr. Mingliang Zhuo interviewed Prof. Victor Wallis, former editor of Socialism and Democracy, on some important issues via email. Wallis points out in the exclusive interview that the US response to the pandemic has triggered a disastrous economic depression. The United States has not done well in dealing with the epidemic. However, China, Cuba, and other countries applying socialist principles have done well by achieving a combination of administrative decrees and popular initiatives and participation. The quality of universal services would be more dependably assured within a fully socialist framework.
