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Charles H, Fátima CV, Lucio V, María KA, Johar C, Kevin P, Luz BV, Guido GA, Eduarda BC, Sebastian MN, Heber QJ, Matilde QY, Karla ZV, Liesbeth HF, Javier RE, Juan SR, Antonio BO. Differences in SARS-COV-2 seroprevalence in the population of Cusco, Peru. GLOBAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024; 7:100131. [PMID: 38188037 PMCID: PMC10767270 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloepi.2023.100131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Peru has been reported at the regional level, few studies have evaluated its spread at the provincial level, in which the mechanisms could be different. Methods We conducted an analytical, cross-sectional, multistage observational population study to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-COV-2 at the provincial and urban/rural levels in a high-altitude setting. The sampling unit was the household, including a randomly selected family member. Sampling was performed using a data collection sheet on clinical and epidemiological variables. Chemiluminescence tests were used to detect total anti-SARS-COV-2 antibodies (IgG and IgM simultaneously). The percentages were adjusted to the sampling design. Results The overall prevalence in the region of Cusco was 25.9%, with considerably different prevalence between the 13 provinces (from 15.9% in Acomayo to 40.1% in Canchis) and between rural (21.1%) and urban (31.7%) areas. In multivariable model, living in a rural area was a protective factor (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-0.76). Conclusions Geographic diversity and population density determine different prevalence rates, typically lower in rural areas, possibly due to natural social distancing or limited interaction with people at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Concha-Velasco Fátima
- Dirección de Epidemiología e Investigación - Gerencia Regional de Salud del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
- Universidad Continental, Cusco, Peru
| | - Velásquez Lucio
- Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
- Unidad de Epidemiología, Hospital Nacional Adolfo Guevara Velasco, Cusco, Peru
| | - K. Antich María
- Dirección de Epidemiología e Investigación - Gerencia Regional de Salud del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
- Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Cassa Johar
- Dirección de Epidemiología e Investigación - Gerencia Regional de Salud del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
- Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
| | - Palacios Kevin
- Dirección de Epidemiología e Investigación - Gerencia Regional de Salud del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
| | | | | | | | | | - Quispe-Jihuallanca Heber
- Dirección de Inteligencia Sanitaria, Red de Servicios de Salud de Canas Canchis Espinar, Cusco, Peru
| | - Quispe-Yana Matilde
- Dirección de Inteligencia Sanitaria, Red de Servicios de La Convención, Cusco, Peru
| | - Zavala-Vargas Karla
- Dirección de Inteligencia Sanitaria – Gerencia Regional de Salud Cusco, Peru
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Deji Z, Tong Y, Huang H, Zhang Z, Fang M, Crabbe MJC, Zhang X, Wang Y. Influence of Environmental Factors and Genome Diversity on Cumulative COVID-19 Cases in the Highland Region of China: Comparative Correlational Study. Interact J Med Res 2024; 13:e43585. [PMID: 38526532 DOI: 10.2196/43585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 caused the global COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging reports support lower mortality and reduced case numbers in highland areas; however, comparative studies on the cumulative impact of environmental factors and viral genetic diversity on COVID-19 infection rates have not been performed to date. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to determine the difference in COVID-19 infection rates between high and low altitudes, and to explore whether the difference in the pandemic trend in the high-altitude region of China compared to that of the lowlands is influenced by environmental factors, population density, and biological mechanisms. METHODS We examined the correlation between population density and COVID-19 cases through linear regression. A zero-shot model was applied to identify possible factors correlated to COVID-19 infection. We further analyzed the correlation of meteorological and air quality factors with infection cases using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Mixed-effects multiple linear regression was applied to evaluate the associations between selected factors and COVID-19 cases adjusting for covariates. Lastly, the relationship between environmental factors and mutation frequency was evaluated using the same correlation techniques mentioned above. RESULTS Among the 24,826 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported from 40 cities in China from January 23, 2020, to July 7, 2022, 98.4% (n=24,430) were found in the lowlands. Population density was positively correlated with COVID-19 cases in all regions (ρ=0.641, P=.003). In high-altitude areas, the number of COVID-19 cases was negatively associated with temperature, sunlight hours, and UV index (P=.003, P=.001, and P=.009, respectively) and was positively associated with wind speed (ρ=0.388, P<.001), whereas no correlation was found between meteorological factors and COVID-19 cases in the lowlands. After controlling for covariates, the mixed-effects model also showed positive associations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) with COVID-19 cases (P=.002 and P<.001, respectively). Sequence variant analysis showed lower genetic diversity among nucleotides for each SARS-CoV-2 genome (P<.001) and three open reading frames (P<.001) in high altitudes compared to 300 sequences analyzed from low altitudes. Moreover, the frequencies of 44 nonsynonymous mutations and 32 synonymous mutations were significantly different between the high- and low-altitude groups (P<.001, mutation frequency>0.1). Key nonsynonymous mutations showed positive correlations with altitude, wind speed, and air pressure and showed negative correlations with temperature, UV index, and sunlight hours. CONCLUSIONS By comparison with the lowlands, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was substantially lower in high-altitude regions of China, and the population density, temperature, sunlight hours, UV index, wind speed, PM2.5, and CO influenced the cumulative pandemic trend in the highlands. The identified influence of environmental factors on SARS-CoV-2 sequence variants adds knowledge of the impact of altitude on COVID-19 infection, offering novel suggestions for preventive intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoga Deji
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Information School, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Yuantao Tong
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Honglian Huang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine Center, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zeyu Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Fang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - M James C Crabbe
- Wolfson College, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Science & Technology, University of Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, Shanxi University, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine Center, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Araque-Rodriguez SA, Solarte I, Rojas-Roa N, Rodriguez-Villamizar LA. Altitude and COVID-19 in Colombia: An updated analysis accounting for potential confounders. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2023; 316:104136. [PMID: 37532001 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2023.104136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the relationship between the altitude of municipalities and the incidence, mortality, and fatality from COVID-19 and excess of mortality in Colombia between 2020 and 2022. We conducted an ecologic study including all 1122 municipalities in Colombia and used categories of altitude as main independent variable. We fit multivariable regression models for incidence, mortality, fatality rates, and excess of mortality controlling for several variables at municipality level. There was a higher incidence rate, similar mortality rate and lower case-fatality rate for COVID-19 during 2020-2022 in municipalities in the upper category of altitude (>=2500 masl) compared to the lower category (<1000 masl). The excess of mortality was lower but not statistically different in municipalities in the upper category of altitude, and significantly lower in the intermediate altitude category compared to the lowlands. Our findings provide evidence that municipalities with high altitude had similar mortality rate, and lower case-fatality rate and excess of mortality for COVID-19 compared to lowlands in Colombia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago A Araque-Rodriguez
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Calle 157 14-55, 681001 Floridablanca, Colombia
| | - Iván Solarte
- Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7 40-62, Bogotá, Colombia; Unidad de Neumología, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Carrera 7 40-62, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Néstor Rojas-Roa
- Facultad de Ingenierías, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Edificio 401, Carrera 45 26-85, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Laura A Rodriguez-Villamizar
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 32 29-31 of 301, 68002, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
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Williams ME, Berl MM, Corn E, Ansusinha E, Arroyave-Wessel M, Zhang A, Cure C, Mulkey SB. Positive and negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on families of young children in rural Colombia and implications for child outcome research. Child Care Health Dev 2023; 49:825-833. [PMID: 37012218 PMCID: PMC10524562 DOI: 10.1111/cch.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of children and families worldwide. The objective of this study is to examine exposures and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on preschool-aged children and caregivers in the Atlántico region of Colombia. METHODS The COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Scales (CEFIS) questionnaire was administered in Fall 2021 to 63 caregivers of children in Sabanalarga, Colombia enrolled in a neurodevelopment study as healthy controls. The CEFIS assesses pandemic-related exposures/events and impact; higher scores indicate greater exposure and negative impact. Descriptive and correlation analyses among exposure and impact scores were conducted. RESULTS Caregivers reported a mean (standard deviation[SD]) of 11.1 (3.2) among 25 COVID-19-related exposures/events; most common types included stay-at-home orders, school closures, disruptions to living conditions and income loss. Total number of events was correlated with higher caregiver (P < .001) and child distress (P = .002). However, the mean (SD) impact score of 2.0 (0.6) suggests a trend toward more positive impact than negative. Caregivers reported improvements to sleep, exercise and family interactions. Some caregivers (n = 21) qualitatively reported negative effects including unemployment, fear/anxiety and inability to visit family, and positive effects such as unification, family closeness and spending more time with children. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the importance of comprehensively exploring positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 and families' subsequent resilience and transformation. Using tools like the CEFIS, those seeking to mitigate negative impacts can contextualize data to better understand study outcomes and tailor services, resources and policy to families' unique needs. CEFIS data likely depend on timing, economic/public health resources and cultural values; future work should prioritize understanding the generalizability of CEFIS findings across samples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Madison M. Berl
- Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Anqing Zhang
- Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Sarah B. Mulkey
- Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Neurology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
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Baquerizo-Sedano L, Goni L, Sayón-Orea C, González-Muniesa P. A U-shaped protection of altitude against mortality and infection of COVID-19 in Peru: an ecological study. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1054. [PMID: 37264338 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15537-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world in multiple ways and has been a challenge for the health systems of each country. From the beginning, risk factors for the severity and mortality of the disease were considered, as the spread of the virus was related to the living conditions of each population. METHODS In this ecological study we have evaluated the role of geography, precisely the altitude above sea level in the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in Peru. Incidence and mortality data were taken from the open-access database of the government of Peru until March 2021. COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 mortality were treated as cases/density population and 1000 x cases/inhabitants while altitude was treated as continuous and as a categorical variable divided in 7 categories. The relationship between COVID-19 cases or deaths for COVID-19 and altitude as continuous variable was determined using Spearman correlation test. Meanwhile when altitude was considered as a categorical variable, Poisson regression or negative binomial analyses were applied. RESULTS A significant inverse correlation was found between COVID-19 cases by population density and altitude (r=-0.37 p < 0.001). By altitude categories, the lowest risk for infection was observed between 3,000 and 3,500 m (IRR 0.08; 95% CI 0.05,0.12). Moreover, we found an inverse correlation between altitude and COVID-19 mortality (r=-0.39 p < 0.001). Also, the lowest risk for mortality was observed between 3,000 and 3,500 m (IRR 0.12; 95%CI 0.08; 0.18). Similar results were found when analyses were adjusted for inhabitants and stratified by sex. CONCLUSION This study reports an inverse relationship between COVID-19 incidence and mortality with respect to the altitude of residence, particularly, a u-shaped protection is shown, with a highest benefit between 3000 and 3500 m. The possibility of using hypoxia as an alternative treatment requires more complex studies that should allow knowing the physiological and environmental mechanisms of the protective role.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Baquerizo-Sedano
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Privada del Norte, Lima, Peru
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Food Sciences and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - L Goni
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IDISNA - Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - C Sayón-Orea
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IDISNA - Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Navarra Public Health Institute, Pamplona, Spain
| | - P González-Muniesa
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Food Sciences and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
- Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
- IDISNA - Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain.
- CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.
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Parsa SM, Norozpour F, Elsheikh AH, Kabeel AE. Solar desalination/purification (solar stills, humidification-dehumidification, solar disinfection) in high altitude during COVID19: Insights of gastrointestinal manifestations and systems' mechanism. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 10:100259. [PMID: 36816517 PMCID: PMC9927827 DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2023.100259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
From the starting of the pandemic different transmission routes of the pathogen was brought into the spotlight by researchers from different disciplines. This matter in high-altitudes was more boosted as the main parameters were not exactly realized. In this review we are about to highlight the possibility of consuming contaminated water generated form solar water desalination/disinfection systems in highlands. Three systems including solar still, solar disinfection (which experimented by the authors in 2019 in high altitude) and humidification-dehumidification were consider in this context. Ascribe to the risks of pathogens transmission in solar desalination/disinfection systems where the water resources are heavily polluted in every corner of the world, highlighting the risk of consuming water in high-altitude where there are many other parameters associated with spread of pathogen is of great importance. As it was reported, reliability of solar desalination and solar water disinfections systems against contaminated water by the novel coronavirus remained on the question because the virus can be transmitted by vapor in solar stills due to tiny particle size (60-140 nm) and would not be killed by solar disinfections due to low-temperature of operation <40 °C while for HDH contamination of both water and air by sars-cov-2 could be a concern. Although the SARS-CoV-2 is not a waterborne pathogen, its capability to replicate in stomach and infection of gastrointestinal glandular suggested the potential of transmission via fecal-oral. Eventually, it was concluded that using solar-based water treatment as drinking water in high altitude regions should be cautiously consider and recommendations and considerations are presented. Importantly, this critical review not only about the ongoing pandemic, but it aims is to highlight the importance of produced drinking water by systems for future epidemic/pandemic to prevent spread and entering a pathogen particularly in high-altitude regions via a new routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Masoud Parsa
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Fatemeh Norozpour
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ammar H Elsheikh
- Department of Production Engineering and Mechanical Design, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - A E Kabeel
- Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
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Gochicoa-Rangel L, Arce SC, Aguirre-Franco C, Madrid-Mejía W, Gutiérrez-Clavería M, Noriega-Aguirre L, Schonffeldt-Guerrero P, Acuña-Izcaray A, Cortés-Telles A, Martínez-Valdeavellano L, Hernández-Rocha FI, Ceballos-Zúñiga O, Del Rio Hidalgo R, Sánchez S, Meneses-Tamayo E, Chérrez-Ojeda I. Effect of Altitude on Respiratory Functional Status in COVID-19 Survivors: Results from a Latin American Cohort-FIRCOV. High Alt Med Biol 2023; 24:37-48. [PMID: 36757307 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2022.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Laura Gochicoa-Rangel, Santiago C. Arce, Carlos Aguirre-Franco, Wilmer Madrid-Mejía, Mónica Gutiérrez-Clavería, Lorena Noriega-Aguirre, Patricia Schonffeldt-Guerrero, Agustín Acuña-Izcaray, Arturo Cortés-Telles, Luisa Martínez-Valdeavellano, Federico Isaac Hernández-Rocha, Omar Ceballos-Zúñiga, Rodrigo Del Rio Hidalgo, Sonia Sánchez, Erika Meneses-Tamayo, and Iván Chérrez-Ojeda; and on Behalf of the Respiratory Physiology Project in COVID-19 (FIRCOV). Effect of altitude on respiratory functional status in COVID-19 survivors: results from a Latin American Cohort-FIRCOV. High Alt Med Biol 24:37-48, 2023. Persistent symptoms and lung function abnormalities are common in COVID-19 survivors. Objectives: To determine the effect of altitude and other independent variables on respiratory function in COVID-19 survivors. Methods: Analytical, observational, cross-sectional cohort study done at 13 medical centers in Latin America located at different altitudes above sea level. COVID-19 survivors were invited to perform pulmonary function tests at least 3 weeks after diagnosis. Results: 1,368 participants (59% male) had mild (20%), moderate (59%), and severe (21%) disease. Restriction by spirometry was noted in 32%; diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was low in 43.7%; and 22.2% walked less meters during the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT). In multiple linear regression models, higher altitude was associated with better spirometry, DLCO and 6-MWT, but lower oxygen saturation at rest and during exercise. Men were 3 times more likely to have restriction and 5.7 times more likely to have a low DLCO. Those who had required mechanical ventilation had lower DLCO and walked less during the 6-MWT. Conclusions: Men were more likely to have lower lung function than women, even after correcting for disease severity and other factors. Patients living at a higher altitude were more likely to have better spirometric patterns and walked farther but had lower DLCO and oxygen saturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gochicoa-Rangel
- Departamento de Fisiología Respiratoria, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias "Ismael Cosío Villegas," Ciudad de México, México
| | - Santiago C Arce
- Pulmonary Function Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A. Lanari, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos Aguirre-Franco
- Servicio de Pruebas de Función Pulmonar, Fundación Neumológica Colombiana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Wilmer Madrid-Mejía
- Departamento de Fisiología Respiratoria, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias "Ismael Cosío Villegas," Ciudad de México, México
| | | | - Lorena Noriega-Aguirre
- Centro de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento de Enfermedades Respiratorias CEDITER, Cd. De Panamá, Panamá
| | | | - Agustín Acuña-Izcaray
- Servicio de Neumonología, Centro Médico Docente La Trinidad y Hospital Universitario de Caracas, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Arturo Cortés-Telles
- Clínica de Enfermedades Respiratorias, HRAE de la Península de Yucatán, Mérida, México
| | | | | | | | | | - Sonia Sánchez
- Centro de Estudios Respiratorios, Asunción, Paraguay
| | - Erika Meneses-Tamayo
- Departamento de Fisiología Respiratoria, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias "Ismael Cosío Villegas," Ciudad de México, México
| | - Iván Chérrez-Ojeda
- Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, Samborondón, Ecuador
- Respiralab Research Center, Guayaquil, Ecuador
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Abbasi BA, Chanana N, Palmo T, Pasha Q. Disparities in COVID-19 incidence and fatality rates at high-altitude. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14473. [PMID: 36788813 PMCID: PMC9922493 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background SARS-CoV-2 has affected every demography disproportionately, including even the native highland populations. Hypobaric-hypoxic settings at high-altitude (HA, >2,500 masl) present an extreme environment that impacts the survival of permanent residents, possibly including SARS-CoV-2. Conflicting hypotheses have been presented for COVID-19 incidence and fatality at HA. Objectives To evaluate protection or risk against COVID-19 incidence and fatality in humans under hypobaric-hypoxic environment of high-altitude (>2,501 masl). Methods Global COVID-19 data of March 2020-21, employed from official websites of the Indian Government, John Hopkins University, and Worldometer were clustered into 6 altitude categories. Clinical cofactors and comorbidities data were evaluated with COVID-19 incidence and fatality. Extensive comparisons and correlations using several statistical tools estimated the risk and protection. Results Of relevance, data analyses revealed four distinct responses, namely, partial risk, total risk, partial protection, and total protection from COVID-19 at high-altitude indicating a mixed baggage and complexity of the infection. Surprisingly, it included the countries within the same geographic region. Moreover, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes correlated significantly with COVID-19 incidence and fatality rate (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions Varied patterns of protection and risk against COVID-19 incidence and fatality were observed among the high-altitude populations. It is though premature to generalize COVID-19 effects on any particular demography without further extensive studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Ahmed Abbasi
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Genomics and Molecular Medicine, Delhi, India
| | - Neha Chanana
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Genomics and Molecular Medicine, Delhi, India
| | - Tsering Palmo
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Genomics and Molecular Medicine, Delhi, India
| | - Qadar Pasha
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Genomics and Molecular Medicine, Delhi, India,Institute of Hypoxia Research, New Delhi, India
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Chilipio Chiclla MA, Campos Correa K. Altitud y su relación con la incidencia, letalidad y mortalidad por COVID-19 en Perú: 2020-2021. REVISTA DE LA FACULTAD DE MEDICINA 2022. [DOI: 10.15446/revfacmed.v71n2.101180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introducción. La incidencia, letalidad y mortalidad COVID-19 no ha sido igual en las regiones del Perú, situación que puede estar relacionada con factores pocos estudiados como la altitud; asimismo, características ambientales propias de la altura (presión atmosférica, humedad relativa, etc.) podrían explicar la dinámica de transmisión de la COVID-19.
Objetivo. Determinar la relación entre altitud e incidencia, letalidad y mortalidad por COVID-19 en Perú.
Materiales y método. Estudio ecológico de grupos múltiples. Se realizó un análisis secundario de datos oficiales COVID-19 de 1874 distritos del Perú reportados hasta febrero de 2021. La variable altitud se categorizó como baja (0-999 msnm), media (1000-2499 msnm) y elevada (≥2500 msnm). Las tasas de incidencia acumulada, letalidad y mortalidad por COVID-19 se calcularon como el número de casos entre la población total de cada distrito multiplicada por 10000, el número de defunciones entre el número de casos multiplicado por 100, y el número de defunciones entre la población total de cada distrito multiplicado por 100000, respectivamente. Para el análisis de los datos se empleó estadística bivariada (coeficiente de correlación de Spearman y prueba de Kruskal-Wallis) y multivariada (regresión lineal múltiple), con un nivel de confianza del 95%.
Resultados. Se observó una correlación inversa entre la tasa de incidencia acumulada (1823 distritos) y altitud (Rho:-0.355; p<0.001), es decir, se redujo a mayor altitud, y una correlación directa entre la tasa de letalidad (1526 distritos) y altitud (Rho: 0.131; p<0.001), es decir, aumentó a mayor altitud. Aunque la tasa de mortalidad mostró una correlación inversa con la altitud (Rho:-0.310; p<0.000), esta varía heterogéneamente según niveles altitudinales. En el análisis multivariado, luego de ajustar el modelo por pobreza y densidad poblacional, la altitud se asoció con las tasas de incidencia (p<0.001) y de letalidad (p=0.009), pero no con la de mortalidad (p=0.179).
Conclusión. Se observó una correlación inversa entre altitud y la tasa de incidencia de COVID-19 y una correlación directa entre altitud y la tasa de letalidad en Perú durante el periodo de estudio. Finalmente, no se encontró una correlación entre altitud y tasa de mortalidad.
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10
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Revisiting the COVID-19 fatality rate and altitude association through a comprehensive analysis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18048. [PMID: 36302862 PMCID: PMC9610325 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21787-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of COVID-19 virus has led to a pandemic with staggering morbidity and mortality. There is evidence showing that pre-existing conditions and environmental factors are associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Among these conditions, altitude is of particular interest. Altitude has been shown to influence the morbidity and mortality of multiple chronic pathologies such as cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. COVID-19 fatality rate has been associated with as altitude as well, but findings are disputed. Therefore, we revisit this assessment with a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between COVID-19 fatality rates and altitude for the Mountain region of the United States while considering the effect of additional comorbidities and sociodemographic factors. A Generalized Additive Model (GAM) approach using one year of county data adjusted by population density was performed to evaluate associations within states and for the whole region. Our analysis revealed a consistent effect where COVID-19 case-fatality rate is decreased with higher altitude, even when controlling for pre-existing conditions and certain demographic variables. In summary, the work presented provides evidence that suggests that the protective effects of high altitude are likely to be influenced by physiologic factors but demographic trends that are associated with life at high altitude must also be considered.
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11
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A comparative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 viral load across different altitudes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17179. [PMID: 36229507 PMCID: PMC9558017 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20516-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has spread throughout the world, including areas located at high or very high altitudes. There is a debate about the role of high altitude hypoxia on viral transmission, incidence, and COVID-19 related mortality. This is the first comparison of SARS-CoV-2 viral load across elevations ranging from 0 to 4300 m. To describe the SARS-CoV-2 viral load across samples coming from 62 cities located at low, moderate, high, and very high altitudes in Ecuador. An observational analysis of viral loads among nasopharyngeal swap samples coming from a cohort of 4929 patients with a RT-qPCR test positive for SARS-CoV-2. The relationship between high and low altitude only considering our sample of 4929 persons is equal in both cases and not significative (p-value 0.19). In the case of low altitude, adding the sex variable to the analysis, it was possible to find a significative difference between men and women (p-value < 0.05). Considering initially sex and then altitude, it was possible to find a significative difference between high and low altitude for men (p-value 0.05). There is not enough evidence to state that viral load is affected directly by altitude range but adding a new variable as sex in the analysis shows that the presence of new variables influences the relationship of altitude range and viral load. There is no evidence that viral loads (Ct and copies/ml) differ at low or high altitude. Using sex as a co-factor, we found that men have higher viral loads than women at low and moderate altitude locations, while living at high altitude, no differences were found. When Ct values were aggregated by low, moderate, and high viral load, we found no significant differences when sex was excluded from the analysis. We conclude that viral load is not directly affected by altitude, but COVID-19 incidence and mortality are rather affected by socio-demographic and idiosyncratic dynamics.
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Patiño-Aldana AF, Ruíz Sternberg ÁM, Pinzón Rondón ÁM, Molano-Gonzalez N, Rodriguez Lima DR. Interaction Effect Between Hemoglobin and Hypoxemia on COVID-19 Mortality: an observational study from Bogotá, Colombia. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:6965-6976. [PMID: 36082107 PMCID: PMC9447453 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s371067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Felipe Patiño-Aldana
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Correspondence: Andrés Felipe Patiño-Aldana, Email
| | - Ángela María Ruíz Sternberg
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Ángela María Pinzón Rondón
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nicolás Molano-Gonzalez
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - David Rene Rodriguez Lima
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- CIMED, Hospital Universitario Mayor - Méderi, Bogotá, Colombia
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13
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Song P, Han H, Feng H, Hui Y, Zhou T, Meng W, Yan J, Li J, Fang Y, Liu P, Li X, Li X. High altitude Relieves transmission risks of COVID-19 through meteorological and environmental factors: Evidence from China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113214. [PMID: 35405128 PMCID: PMC8993487 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Existing studies reported higher altitudes reduce the COVID-19 infection rate in the United States, Colombia, and Peru. However, the underlying reasons for this phenomenon remain unclear. In this study, regression analysis and mediating effect model were used in a combination to explore the altitudes relation with the pattern of transmission under their correlation factors. The preliminary linear regression analysis indicated a negative correlation between altitudes and COVID-19 infection in China. In contrast to environmental factors from low-altitude regions (<1500 m), high-altitude regions (>1500 m) exhibited lower PM2.5, average temperature (AT), and mobility, accompanied by high SO2 and absolute humidity (AH). Non-linear regression analysis further revealed that COVID-19 confirmed cases had a positive correlation with mobility, AH, and AT, whereas negatively correlated with SO2, CO, and DTR. Subsequent mediating effect model with altitude-correlated factors, such as mobility, AT, AH, DTR and SO2, suffice to discriminate the COVID-19 infection rate between low- and high-altitude regions. The mentioned evidence advance our understanding of the altitude-mediated COVID-19 transmission mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peizhi Song
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui South Road #222, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Huawen Han
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui South Road #222, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Hanzhong Feng
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui South Road #222, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Yun Hui
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui South Road #222, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Tuoyu Zhou
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui South Road #222, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Wenbo Meng
- Key Laboratory for Biological Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Transformation Gansu Province, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Jun Yan
- Key Laboratory for Biological Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Transformation Gansu Province, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Junfeng Li
- Key Laboratory for Biological Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Transformation Gansu Province, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Yitian Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Pu Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biological Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Transformation Gansu Province, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Xun Li
- Key Laboratory for Biological Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Transformation Gansu Province, Lanzhou, PR China.
| | - Xiangkai Li
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui South Road #222, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China.
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14
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Assessing the impact of long-term exposure to nine outdoor air pollutants on COVID-19 spatial spread and related mortality in 107 Italian provinces. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13317. [PMID: 35922645 PMCID: PMC9349267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17215-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper investigates the air quality in 107 Italian provinces in the period 2014-2019 and the association between exposure to nine outdoor air pollutants and the COVID-19 spread and related mortality in the same areas. The methods used were negative binomial (NB) regression, ordinary least squares (OLS) model, and spatial autoregressive (SAR) model. The results showed that (i) common air pollutants-nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10)-were highly and positively correlated with large firms, energy and gas consumption, public transports, and livestock sector; (ii) long-term exposure to NO2, PM2.5, PM10, benzene, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and cadmium (Cd) was positively and significantly correlated with the spread of COVID-19; and (iii) long-term exposure to NO2, O3, PM2.5, PM10, and arsenic (As) was positively and significantly correlated with COVID-19 related mortality. Specifically, particulate matter and Cd showed the most adverse effect on COVID-19 prevalence; while particulate matter and As showed the largest dangerous impact on excess mortality rate. The results were confirmed even after controlling for eighteen covariates and spatial effects. This outcome seems of interest because benzene, BaP, and heavy metals (As and Cd) have not been considered at all in recent literature. It also suggests the need for a national strategy to drive down air pollutant concentrations to cope better with potential future pandemics.
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15
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SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load Analysis at Low and High Altitude: A Case Study from Ecuador. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19137945. [PMID: 35805606 PMCID: PMC9265329 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has spread throughout the world, including remote areas such as those located at high altitudes. There is a debate about the role of hypobaric hypoxia on viral transmission and COVID-19 incidence. A descriptive cross-sectional analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and viral load among patients living at low (230 m) and high altitude (3800 m) in Ecuador was completed. Within these two communities, the total number of infected people at the time of the study was 108 cases (40.3%). The COVID-19 incidence proportion at low altitude was 64% while at high altitude was 30.3%. The mean viral load from those patients who tested positive was 3,499,184 copies/mL (SD = 23,931,479 copies/mL). At low altitude (Limoncocha), the average viral load was 140,223.8 copies/mL (SD = 990,840.9 copies/mL), while for the high altitude group (Oyacachi), the mean viral load was 6,394,789 copies/mL (SD = 32,493,469 copies/mL). We found no statistically significant differences when both results were compared (p = 0.056). We found no significant differences across people living at low or high altitude; however, men and younger populations had higher viral load than women older populations, respectively.
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16
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Chakraborty S, Das U, Rathore U, Sarkhel P. Are High-Altitude Residents More Susceptible to Covid-19 in India? Findings and Potential Implications for Research and Policy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH SERVICES 2022; 52:455-469. [PMID: 35658732 PMCID: PMC9171131 DOI: 10.1177/00207314221104887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we study the incidence of COVID-19 and the associated fatality with altitude using high frequency, district level data from India. To understand the implications of the nationwide lockdown after the outbreak, we use data for about four months- two from the lockdown period starting from March 25 till May 31, 2020 and about two months after unlocking was initiated (June 1-July 26, 2020). The multivariate regression result indicates slower growth in average rate of infection during the lockdown period in hilly regions, the gains of which attenuated after the unlocking was initiated. Despite these early gains, the rate of fatalities is significantly higher during the lockdown period in comparison to the plains. The findings remain robust to multiple alternative specifications and methods including one that accounts for confounding possibilities via unobservable and provides consistent estimates of bias adjusted treatment effects. The evidence supports the need for provisioning of public health services and infrastructure upgradation, especially maintenance of adequate stock of life support devices, in high altitude regions. It also underscores the necessity for strengthening and revising the existing Hill Areas Development Programme and integrating important aspects of public health as part of this policy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Upasak Das
- Global Development Institute, 5292University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Centre for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, 6572University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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17
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Nicolaou L, Steinberg A, Carrillo-Larco RM, Hartinger S, Lescano AG, Checkley W. Living at High Altitude and COVID-19 Mortality in Peru. High Alt Med Biol 2022; 23:146-158. [PMID: 35483043 PMCID: PMC10024074 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2021.0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicolaou, Laura, Anne Steinberg, Rodrigo M. Carrillo-Larco, Stella Hartinger, Andres G. Lescano, and William Checkley. Living at high altitude and COVID-19 mortality in Peru. High Alt Med Biol. 23:146-158, 2022. Background: Previous studies have reported a lower severity of COVID-19 infections at higher altitudes; however, this association may be confounded by various factors. We examined the association between living at altitude and COVID-19 mortality in Peru adjusting for population density, prevalence of comorbidities, indicators of socioeconomic status, and health care access. Methods: Utilizing administrative data across 196 provinces located at varying altitudes (sea level to 4,373 m), we conducted a two-stage analysis of COVID-19 deaths between March 19 and December 31, 2020, Peru's first wave. We first calculated cumulative daily mortality rate for each province and fit lognormal cumulative distribution functions to estimate total mortality rate, and start, peak, and duration of the first wave. We then regressed province-level total mortality rate, start, peak, and duration of the first wave as a function of altitude adjusted for confounders. Results: There were 93,528 recorded deaths from COVID-19 (mean age 66.5 years, 64.5% male) for a cumulative mortality of 272.5 per 100,000 population between March 19 and December 31, 2020. We did not find a consistent monotonic trend between living at higher altitudes and estimated total mortality rate for provinces at 500 - 1,000 m (-12.1 deaths per 100,000 population per 100 m, 95% familywise confidence interval -27.7 to 3.5) or > 1,000 m (-0.3, -2.7 to 2.0). We also did not find consistent monotonic trends for the start, peak, and duration of the first wave beyond the first 500 m. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that living at high altitude may not confer a lower risk of death from COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Nicolaou
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.,Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anne Steinberg
- Program in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control, Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rodrigo M Carrillo-Larco
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stella Hartinger
- UDIAS, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.,Clima, Latin American Center of Excellence in Climate Change and Health, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Andres G Lescano
- Clima, Latin American Center of Excellence in Climate Change and Health, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.,Emerge, Emerging Diseases, and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - William Checkley
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.,Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Program in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control, Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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18
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Rodriguez Lima DR, Pinzón Rondón ÁM, Rubio Ramos C, Pinilla Rojas DI, Niño Orrego MJ, Díaz Quiroz MA, Molano-González N, Ceballos Quintero JE, Arroyo Santos AF, Ruiz Sternberg ÁM. Clinical characteristics and mortality associated with COVID-19 at high altitude: a cohort of 5161 patients in Bogotá, Colombia. Int J Emerg Med 2022; 15:22. [PMID: 35597911 PMCID: PMC9123834 DOI: 10.1186/s12245-022-00426-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background There are few data on the clinical outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in cities over 1000 m above sea level (masl). Objectives To describe the clinical characteristics and mortality of patients with COVID-19 treated at a high complexity hospital in Bogotá, Colombia, at 2640 masl. Methods This was an observational study of a cohort including 5161 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection from 19 March 2020 to 30 April 2021. Demographic data, laboratory values, comorbidities, oxygenation indices, and clinical outcomes were collected. Data were compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. An independent predictive model was performed for mortality and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) using classification and regression trees (CART). Results The median cohort age was 66 years (interquartile range (IQR) 53–77), with 1305 patients dying (25%) and 3856 surviving (75%). The intensive care unit (ICU) received 1223 patients (24%). Of 898 patients who received IMV, 613 (68%) of them perished. The ratio of partial pressure arterial oxygen (PaO2) to fraction inspired oxygen (FiO2), or the P/F ratio, upon ICU admission was 105 (IQR 77–146) and 137 (IQR 91–199) in the deceased and survivors, respectively. The CART model showed that the need for IMV, age greater than 79 years, ratio of oxygen saturation (SaO2) to FiO2, or the S/F ratio, less than 259, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) greater than 617 U/L at admission were associated with a greater probability of death. Conclusion Among more than 5000 patients with COVID-19 treated in our hospital, mortality at hospital discharge was 25%. Older age, low S/F ratio, and high LDH at admission were predictors of mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Rene Rodriguez Lima
- Critical and Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital Universitario Mayor-Méderi, Bogotá, Colombia. .,Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Ángela María Pinzón Rondón
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Cristhian Rubio Ramos
- Critical and Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital Universitario Mayor-Méderi, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Maria José Niño Orrego
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mateo Andrés Díaz Quiroz
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nicolás Molano-González
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | | | - Ángela María Ruiz Sternberg
- Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
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19
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Jibaja M, Roldan-Vasquez E, Rello J, Shen H, Maldonado N, Grunauer M, Díaz AM, García F, Ramírez V, Sánchez H, Barberán JL, Paredes JP, Cevallos M, Montenegro F, Puertas S, Briones K, Martínez M, Vélez-Páez J, Montalvo-Villagómez M, Herrera L, Garrido S, Sisa I. Effect of High Altitude on the Survival of COVID-19 Patients in Intensive Care Unit: A Cohort Study. J Intensive Care Med 2022; 37:1265-1273. [PMID: 35532089 PMCID: PMC9095997 DOI: 10.1177/08850666221099827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: The effect of high altitude ( ≥ 1500 m) and its potential association with mortality by COVID-19 remains controversial. We assessed the effect of high altitude on the survival/discharge of COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission for mechanical ventilation compared to individuals treated at sea level. Methods: A retrospective cohort multi-center study of consecutive adults patients with a positive RT-PCR test for COVID-19 who were mechanically ventilated between March and November 2020. Data were collected from two sea-level hospitals and four high-altitude hospitals in Ecuador. The primary outcome was ICU and hospital survival/discharge. Survival analysis was conducted using semi-parametric Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Of the study population (n = 670), 35.2% were female with a mean age of 58.3 ± 12.6 years. On admission, high-altitude patients were more likely to be younger (57.2 vs. 60.5 years old), presented with less comorbidities such as hypertension (25.9% vs. 54.9% with p-value <.001) and diabetes mellitus (20.5% vs. 37.2% with p-value <.001), less probability of having a capillary refill time > 3 sec (13.7% vs. 30.1%, p-value <.001), and less severity-of-illness condition (APACHE II score, 17.5 ± 8.1 vs. 20 ± 8.2, p < .01). After adjusting for key confounders high altitude is associated with significant higher probabilities of ICU survival/discharge (HR: 1.74 [95% CI: 1.46-2.08]) and hospital survival/discharge (HR: 1.35 [95% CI: 1.18-1.55]) than patients treated at sea level. Conclusions: Patients treated at high altitude at any time point during the study period were 74% more likely to experience ICU survival/discharge and 35% more likely to experience hospital survival/discharge than to the sea-level group. Possible reasons for these findings are genetic and physiological adaptations due to exposure to chronic hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Jibaja
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador UIDE, Quito, Ecuador
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Estefania Roldan-Vasquez
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Jordi Rello
- Vall d’Hebrón Institute of Research (VHIR), Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Spain
- CHRU Nîmes, Nîmes, France
| | - Hua Shen
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nelson Maldonado
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Michelle Grunauer
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Ana María Díaz
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Fernanda García
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Vanessa Ramírez
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Hernán Sánchez
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, Quito, Ecuador
| | - José Luis Barberán
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades, Portoviejo, Ecuador
| | - Juan Pablo Paredes
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades, Portoviejo, Ecuador
| | - Mónica Cevallos
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades, Portoviejo, Ecuador
| | - Francisco Montenegro
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades José Carrasco Arteaga, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Soraya Puertas
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades José Carrasco Arteaga, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Killen Briones
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital del IESS, Babahoyo, Ecuador
| | - Marlon Martínez
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital del IESS, Babahoyo, Ecuador
| | - Jorge Vélez-Páez
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital General Pablo Arturo Suárez, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Luis Herrera
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital del IESS, Ibarra, Ecuador
| | - Santiago Garrido
- Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital del IESS, Ibarra, Ecuador
| | - Ivan Sisa
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, Quito, Ecuador
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High-altitude is associated with better short-term survival in critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262423. [PMID: 35358185 PMCID: PMC8970356 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Multiple studies have attempted to elucidate the relationship between chronic hypoxia and SARS-CoV-2 infection. It seems that high-altitude is associated with lower COVID-19 related mortality and incidence rates; nevertheless, all the data came from observational studies, being this the first one looking into prospectively collected clinical data from severely ill patients residing at two significantly different altitudes. Methods A prospective cohort, a two-center study among COVID-19 confirmed adult patients admitted to a low (sea level) and high-altitude (2,850 m) ICU unit in Ecuador was conducted. Two hundred and thirty confirmed patients were enrolled from March 15th to July 15th, 2020. Results From 230 patients, 149 were men (64.8%) and 81 women (35.2%). The median age of all the patients was 60 years, and at least 105 (45.7%) of patients had at least one underlying comorbidity, including hypertension (33.5%), diabetes (16.5%), and chronic kidney failure (5.7%). The APACHE II scale (Score that estimates ICU mortality) at 72 hours was especially higher in the low altitude group with a median of 18 points (IQR: 9.5–24.0), compared to 9 points (IQR: 5.0–22.0) obtained in the high-altitude group. There is evidence of a difference in survival in favor of the high-altitude group (p = 0.006), the median survival being 39 days, compared to 21 days in the low altitude group. Conclusion There has been a substantial improvement in survival amongst people admitted to the high-altitude ICU. Residing at high-altitudes was associated with improved survival, especially among patients with no comorbidities. COVID-19 patients admitted to the high-altitude ICU unit have improved severity-of-disease classification system scores at 72 hours.
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Martínez-Briseño D, Pérez-Padilla R, Fernández-Plata R, Castillejos-López M, Higuera-Iglesias AL. El impacto de la altitud en las tasas de mortalidad por COVID-19 en México. Arch Bronconeumol 2022; 58:830-833. [PMID: 35550307 PMCID: PMC9026948 DOI: 10.1016/j.arbres.2022.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Del Valle-Mendoza J, Tarazona-Castro Y, Merino-Luna A, Carrillo-Ng H, Kym S, Aguilar-Luis MA, Del Valle LJ, Aquino-Ortega R, Martins-Luna J, Peña-Tuesta I, Silva-Caso W. Comparison of cytokines levels among COVID-19 patients living at sea level and high altitude. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:96. [PMID: 35090394 PMCID: PMC8795933 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07079-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus denominated SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread through the world causing the pandemic coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. The difference in the inflammatory response against SARS-CoV-2 infection among people living at different altitudes is a variable not yet studied. METHODS A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in two Peruvian cities at different altitudes for comparison: Lima and Huaraz. Five important proinflammatory cytokines were measured including: IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α using ELISA assays. RESULTS A total of 35 COVID-19 patients and 10 healthy subjects were recruited from each study site. The mean levels of IL-6 (p < 0.03) and TNF-α (p < 0.01) were significantly different among the study groups. In the case of IL-6, patients from Lima had a mean level of 16.2 pg/ml (healthy) and 48.3 pg/ml (COVID-19), meanwhile, patients from Huaraz had levels of 67.3 pg/ml (healthy) and 97.9 pg/ml (COVID-19). Regarding TNF-α, patients from Lima had a mean level of 25.9 pg/ml (healthy) and 61.6 pg/ml (COVID-19), meanwhile, patients from Huaraz had levels of 89.0 pg/ml (healthy) and 120.6 pg/ml (COVID-19). The levels of IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-γ were not significantly different in the study groups. CONCLUSION Patients with COVID-19 residing at high-altitude tend to have higher levels of inflammatory cytokines compared to patients living at sea level, particularly IL-6 and TNF-α. A better understanding of the inflammatory response in different populations can contribute to the implementation of therapeutic and preventive approaches. Further studies evaluating more patients, a greater variety of cytokines and their clinical impact are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juana Del Valle-Mendoza
- School of Medicine, Research Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru.
- Laboratorio de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru.
- Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Av. San Marcos Cuadra 2, Chorrillos, Lima, Peru.
| | - Yordi Tarazona-Castro
- School of Medicine, Research Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru
- Laboratorio de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Hugo Carrillo-Ng
- School of Medicine, Research Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru
- Laboratorio de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru
| | - Sungmin Kym
- Korea International Cooperation for Infectious Diseases, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Miguel Angel Aguilar-Luis
- School of Medicine, Research Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru
- Laboratorio de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru
| | - Luis J Del Valle
- Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, Departament d'Enginyeria Química, EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ronald Aquino-Ortega
- School of Medicine, Research Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru
- Laboratorio de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru
| | - Johanna Martins-Luna
- School of Medicine, Research Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru
- Laboratorio de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru
| | - Isaac Peña-Tuesta
- School of Medicine, Research Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru
- Laboratorio de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru
| | - Wilmer Silva-Caso
- School of Medicine, Research Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru.
- Laboratorio de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru.
- Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Av. San Marcos Cuadra 2, Chorrillos, Lima, Peru.
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Tomas-Grau RH, Ploper D, Ávila CL, Vera Pingitore E, Maldonado Galdeano C, Chaves S, Socias SB, Stagnetto A, Navarro SA, Chahla RE, Aguilar López M, Llapur CJ, Aznar P, Alcorta ME, Costas D, Flores I, Heinze D, Apfelbaum G, Mostoslavsky R, Mostoslavsky G, Cazorla SI, Perdigón GDV, Chehín R. Elevated Humoral Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 at High Altitudes Revealed by an Anti-RBD " In-House" ELISA. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:720988. [PMID: 34722566 PMCID: PMC8551828 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.720988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic with dramatic health and socioeconomic consequences. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) challenges health systems to quickly respond by developing new diagnostic strategies that contribute to identify infected individuals, monitor infections, perform contact-tracing, and limit the spread of the virus. In this brief report, we developed a highly sensitive, specific, and precise “In-House” ELISA to correctly discriminate previously SARS-CoV-2-infected and non-infected individuals and study population seroprevalence. Among 758 individuals evaluated for anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology in the province of Tucumán, Argentina, we found a weak correlation between antibodies elicited against the RBD, the receptor-binding domain of the Spike protein, and the nucleocapsid (N) antigens of this virus. Additionally, we detected mild levels of anti-RBD IgG antibodies in 33.6% of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19, while only 19% showed sufficient antibody titers to be considered as plasma donors. No differences in IgG anti-RBD titers were found between women and men, neither in between different age groups ranging from 18 to 60. Surprisingly, individuals from a high altitude village displayed elevated and longer lasting anti-RBD titers compared to those from a lower altitude city. To our knowledge, this is the first report correlating altitude with increased humoral immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Hernán Tomas-Grau
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Diego Ploper
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - César Luis Ávila
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Esteban Vera Pingitore
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Carolina Maldonado Galdeano
- Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos, Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Silvina Chaves
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Sergio Benjamín Socias
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Agustín Stagnetto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Silvia Adriana Navarro
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - Mónica Aguilar López
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública, Sistema Provincial de Salud, Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Conrado Juan Llapur
- Departamento de Residencias, Dirección General de Recursos Humanos (DGRRHH), Ministerio de Salud, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Patricia Aznar
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública, Sistema Provincial de Salud, Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María Elena Alcorta
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública, Sistema Provincial de Salud, Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Dardo Costas
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública, Sistema Provincial de Salud, Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Isolina Flores
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública, Sistema Provincial de Salud, Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Dar Heinze
- Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gabriela Apfelbaum
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Raul Mostoslavsky
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gustavo Mostoslavsky
- Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Silvia Inés Cazorla
- Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos, Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Del Valle Perdigón
- Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos, Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Rosana Chehín
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas- Sistema Provincial de Salud (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
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Huamaní C, Velásquez L, Montes S, Mayanga-Herrera A, Bernabé-Ortiz A. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a high-altitude setting in Peru: adult population-based cross-sectional study. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12149. [PMID: 34616616 PMCID: PMC8459728 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are several ecological studies, but few studies of the prevalence of SARS-COV-2 at high altitude. We aimed to estimate the population-based seroprevalence of SARS-COV-2 in three settings of Cusco at the end of the first wave among adults. METHODS A population-based survey was conducted in September 2020, in three settings in the region of Cusco: (1) Cusco city at 3,300 meters above the sea level (m.a.s.l.), (2) the periphery of Cusco (Santiago, San Jerónimo, San Sebastián, and Wanchaq) at 3,300 m.a.s.l., and (3) Quillabamba city, located at 1,050 m.a.s.l. People aged ≥ 18 years within a family unit were included. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was based on identifying anti- SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies (IgM and IgG) in serum using the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 chemiluminescence test. RESULTS We enrolled 1924 participants from 712 families. Of the total, 637 participants were anti-SARS-CoV-2 seropositive. Seroprevalence was 38.8% (95% CI [33.4%-44.9%]) in Cusco city, 34.9% (95% CI [30.4%-40.1%]) in the periphery of Cusco, and 20.3% (95% CI [16.2%-25.6%]) in Quillabamba. In 141 families (19.8%; 95% CI [17.0%-22.8%]) the whole members were positive to the test. Living with more than three persons in the same house, a positive COVID-19 case at home, and a member who died in the last five months were factors associated with SARS-COV-2 seropositivity. Dysgeusia/dysosmia was the symptom most associated with seropositivity (aPR = 2.74, 95% CI [2.41-3.12]); whereas always wearing a face shield (aPR = 0. 73; 95% CI [0.60-0.89]) or a facial mask (aPR = 0.76, 95% CI [0.63-0. 92) reduced that probability. CONCLUSIONS A great proportion of Cusco's city inhabitants presented anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at the end of the first wave, with significant differences between settings. Wearing masks and face shields were associated with lower rate of seropositivity; however, efforts must be made to sustain them over time since there is still a high proportion of susceptible people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Huamaní
- Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
- Hospital Nacional Adolfo Guevara Velasco, Cusco, Peru
| | - Lucio Velásquez
- Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
- Hospital Nacional Adolfo Guevara Velasco, Cusco, Peru
| | - Sonia Montes
- Hospital Nacional Adolfo Guevara Velasco, Cusco, Peru
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Leon-Abarca JA, Portmann-Baracco A, Bryce-Alberti M, Ruiz-Sánchez C, Accinelli RA, Soliz J, Gonzales GF. Diabetes increases the risk of COVID-19 in an altitude dependent manner: An analysis of 1,280,806 Mexican patients. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255144. [PMID: 34343179 PMCID: PMC8330906 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS The objective of this study is to analyze how the impact of Diabetes Mellitus [DM] in patients with COVID-19 varies according to altitudinal gradient. METHODS We obtained 1,280,806 records from adult patients with COVID-19 and DM to analyze the probability of COVID-19, development of COVID-19 pneumonia, hospitalization, intubation, admission to the Intensive Care Unit [ICU] and case-fatality rates [CFR]. Variables were controlled by age, sex and altitude of residence to calculate adjusted prevalence and prevalence ratios. RESULTS Patients with DM had a 21.8% higher prevalence of COVID-19 and an additional 120.2% higher prevalence of COVID-19 pneumonia. The adjusted prevalence was also higher for these outcomes as well as for hospitalization, intubation and ICU admission. COVID-19 and pneumonia patients with DM had a 97.0% and 19.4% higher CFR, respectively. With increasing altitudes, the probability of being a confirmed COVID-19 case and the development of pneumonia decreased along CFR for patients with and without DM. However, COVID-19 patients with DM were more likely to require intubation when residing at high altitude. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that patients with DM have a higher probability of being a confirmed COVID-19 case and developing pneumonia. Higher altitude had a protective relationship against SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, it may be associated with more severe cases in patients with and without DM. High altitude decreases CFR for all COVID-19 patients. Our work also shows that women are less affected than men regardless of altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Alonso Leon-Abarca
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
- Facultad de Medicina Albero Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Arianna Portmann-Baracco
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
- Facultad de Medicina Albero Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Mayte Bryce-Alberti
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
- Facultad de Medicina Albero Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Carlos Ruiz-Sánchez
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
- Facultad de Medicina Albero Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Roberto Alfonso Accinelli
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
- Facultad de Medicina Albero Hurtado, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
- Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
- * E-mail:
| | - Jorge Soliz
- Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec [IUCPQ], Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- High Altitude Pulmonary and Pathology Institute (HAPPI-IPPA), La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Gustavo Francisco Gonzales
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
- Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo [LID], Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Alberto Cazorla Tálleri, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
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Zubieta-Calleja G, Zubieta-DeUrioste N. The Oxygen Transport Triad in High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema: A Perspective from the High Andes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:7619. [PMID: 34300070 PMCID: PMC8305285 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Acute high-altitude illnesses are of great concern for physicians and people traveling to high altitude. Our recent article "Acute Mountain Sickness, High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema and High-Altitude Cerebral Edema, a View from the High Andes" was questioned by some sea-level high-altitude experts. As a result of this, we answer some observations and further explain our opinion on these diseases. High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) can be better understood through the Oxygen Transport Triad, which involves the pneumo-dynamic pump (ventilation), the hemo-dynamic pump (heart and circulation), and hemoglobin. The two pumps are the first physiologic response upon initial exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. Hemoglobin is the balancing energy-saving time-evolving equilibrating factor. The acid-base balance must be adequately interpreted using the high-altitude Van Slyke correction factors. Pulse-oximetry measurements during breath-holding at high altitude allow for the evaluation of high altitude diseases. The Tolerance to Hypoxia Formula shows that, paradoxically, the higher the altitude, the more tolerance to hypoxia. In order to survive, all organisms adapt physiologically and optimally to the high-altitude environment, and there cannot be any "loss of adaptation". A favorable evolution in HAPE and pulmonary hypertension can result from the oxygen treatment along with other measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Zubieta-Calleja
- High Altitude Pulmonary and Pathology Institute (HAPPI-IPPA), Av. Copacabana Prolongacion #55, La Paz 2826, Bolivia;
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Characteristics and Clinical Course of Adult in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia at High Altitude. Can Respir J 2021; 2021:5590879. [PMID: 34122677 PMCID: PMC8189806 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5590879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background SARS-CoV-2 has spread worldwide with different dynamics in each region. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and to explore risk factors of death, critical care admission, and use of invasive mechanical ventilation in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in a high-altitude population living in Bogotá, Colombia. Methods We conducted a concurrent cohort study of adult patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Demographic, clinical, and treatment data were extracted from electronic records. Univariate and multivariable methods were performed to investigate the relationship between each variable and outcomes at 28 days of follow-up. Results 377 adults (56.8% male) were included in the study, of whom 85 (22.6%) died. Nonsurvivors were older on average than survivors (mean age, 56.7 years [SD 15.8] vs. 70.1 years [SD 13.9]; p ≤ 0.001) and more likely male (28 [32.9%] vs. 57 [67.1%]; p=0.029). Most patients had at least one underlying disease (333 [88.3%]), including arterial hypertension (149 [39.5%]), overweight (145 [38.5%]), obesity (114 [30.2%]), and diabetes mellitus (82 [21.8%]). Frequency of critical care admission (158 [41.9%]) and invasive mechanical ventilation (123 [32.6%]) was high. Age over 65 years (OR 9.26, 95% CI 3.29-26.01; p ≤ 0.001), ICU admission (OR 12.37, 95% CI 6.08-25.18; p ≤ 0.001), and arterial pH higher than 7.47 (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.08-0.74; p=0.01) were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusions In this study of in-hospital patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia living at high altitude, frequency of death was similar to what has been reported. ICU admission and use of invasive mechanical ventilation were high. Risk factors as older age, ICU admission, and arterial pH were associated with mortality.
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Viruez-Soto A, López-Dávalos MM, Rada-Barrera G, Merino-Luna A, Molano-Franco D, Tinoco-Solorozano A, Zubieta-DeUrioste N, Zubieta-Calleja G, Arias-Reyes C, Soliz J. Low serum erythropoietin levels are associated with fatal COVID-19 cases at 4,150 meters above sea level. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2021; 292:103709. [PMID: 34087493 PMCID: PMC8169280 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2021.103709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies suggested that erythropoietin (EPO) may protect against severe COVID-19-induced injuries, ultimately preventing mortality. This hypothesis is based on the fact that, in addition to promoting the increase in red blood cells, EPO is an anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and protective factor in several non-erythropoietic tissues. Furthermore, EPO promotes nitric oxide production in the hypoxic lung and stimulates ventilation by interacting with the respiratory centers of the brainstem. Given that EPO in the blood is increased at high-altitude, we evaluated the serum levels of EPO in critical patients with COVID-19 at “Hospital Agramont” in the city of El Alto (4150 masl) in Bolivia. A total of 16 patients, 15 men, one woman, with a mean age of 55.8 ± 8.49 years, admitted to the Intensive Care Unit were studied. All patients were permanent residents of El Alto, with no travel history below 3000 masl for at least one year. Blood samples were collected upon admission to the ICU. Serum EPO concentration was assessed using an ELISA kit, and a standard technique determined hemoglobin concentration. Only half of the observed patients survived the disease. Remarkably, fatal cases showed 2.5 times lower serum EPO than survivors (2.78 ± 0.8643 mU/mL vs 7.06 ± 2.713 mU/mL; p = 0.0096), and 1.24 times lower hemoglobin levels (13.96 ± 2.56 g/dL vs 17.41 ± 1.61 g/dL; p = 0.0159). While the number of cases evaluated in this work is low, our findings strongly warrant further investigation of EPO levels in COVID-19 patients at high and low altitudes. Our results also support the hypothesis that exogenous EPO administration could help critically ill COVID-19 patients overcome the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Viruez-Soto
- Hospital Agramont, El Alto, La Paz, Bolivia; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Bolivia; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Peru; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Colombia
| | | | | | - Alfredo Merino-Luna
- High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Bolivia; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Peru; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Colombia
| | - Daniel Molano-Franco
- High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Bolivia; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Peru; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Colombia
| | - Amílcar Tinoco-Solorozano
- High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Bolivia; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Peru; High Altitude Intensive Care Medicine International Group, GIMIA, Colombia
| | | | | | - Christian Arias-Reyes
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Jorge Soliz
- High Altitude Pulmonary and Pathology Institute (HAPPI-IPPA), La Paz, Bolivia; Centre de Recherche de l'Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
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Cardenas L, Valverde‐Bruffau V, Gonzales GF. Altitude does not protect against SARS-CoV-2 infections and mortality due to COVID-19. Physiol Rep 2021; 9:e14922. [PMID: 34110706 PMCID: PMC8191172 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cardenas
- Laboratories of Investigation and Development (LID)Faculty of Sciences and PhilosophyUniversidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaLimaPeru
| | - Valeria Valverde‐Bruffau
- Laboratories of Investigation and Development (LID)Faculty of Sciences and PhilosophyUniversidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaLimaPeru
| | - Gustavo F. Gonzales
- Laboratories of Investigation and Development (LID)Faculty of Sciences and PhilosophyUniversidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaLimaPeru
- High Altitude Research InstituteUniversidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaLimaPeru
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30
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Thomson TM, Casas F, Guerrero HA, Figueroa-Mujíca R, Villafuerte FC, Machicado C. Potential Protective Effect from COVID-19 Conferred by Altitude: A Longitudinal Analysis in Peru During Full Lockdown. High Alt Med Biol 2021; 22:209-224. [PMID: 33780636 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2020.0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Thomson, Timothy M., Fresia Casas, Harold Andre Guerrero, Rómulo Figueroa-Mujíca, Francisco C. Villafuerte, and Claudia Machicado. Potential protective effect from COVID-19 conferred by altitude: A longitudinal analysis in Peru during full lockdown. High Alt Med Biol. 22: 209-224, 2021. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a delayed onset in America. Despite the time advantage for the implementation of preventative measures to contain its spread, the pandemic followed growth rates that paralleled those observed before in Europe. Objectives: To analyze the temporal and geographical distribution of the COVID-19 pandemic at district-level in Perú during the full lockdown period in 2020. Methods: Analysis of publicly available data sets, stratified by altitude and geographical localization. Correlation tests of COVID-19 case and death rates to population prevalence of comorbidities. Results: We observe a strong protective effect of altitude from COVID-19 mortality in populations located above 2,500 m. We provide evidence that internal migration through a specific land route is a significant factor progressively overriding the protection from COVID-19 afforded by high altitude. This protection is independent of poverty indexes and is inversely correlated with the prevalence of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Discussion: Long-term adaptation to residency at high altitude may be the third general protective factor from COVID-19 severity and death, after young age and female sex. Multisystemic adaptive traits or acclimatization processes in response to chronic hypobaric hypoxia may explain the apparent protective effect of high altitude from COVID-19 death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Thomson
- Institute for Molecular Biology, National Science Council (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.,Networked Center for Biomedical Research in Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBER-EHD), Instituto Nacional de la Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fresia Casas
- Laboratory of Translational Research and Computational Biology, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía-LID, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Harold Andre Guerrero
- Laboratory of Translational Research and Computational Biology, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía-LID, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Rómulo Figueroa-Mujíca
- Laboratorio de Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígeno, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía-LID, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Francisco C Villafuerte
- Laboratorio de Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígeno, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía-LID, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Claudia Machicado
- Laboratory of Translational Research and Computational Biology, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía-LID, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú.,Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Zaragoza, Spain
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31
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Arias-Reyes C, Carvajal-Rodriguez F, Poma-Machicao L, Aliaga-Raduán F, Marques DA, Zubieta-DeUrioste N, Accinelli RA, Schneider-Gasser EM, Zubieta-Calleja G, Dutschmann M, Soliz J. Decreased incidence, virus transmission capacity, and severity of COVID-19 at altitude on the American continent. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0237294. [PMID: 33780470 PMCID: PMC8006995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in North, Central, and South America has become the epicenter of the current pandemic. We have suggested previously that the infection rate of this virus might be lower in people living at high altitude (over 2,500 m) compared to that in the lowlands. Based on data from official sources, we performed a new epidemiological analysis of the development of the pandemic in 23 countries on the American continent as of May 23, 2020. Our results confirm our previous finding, further showing that the incidence of COVID-19 on the American continent decreases significantly starting at 1,000 m above sea level (masl). Moreover, epidemiological modeling indicates that the virus transmission rate is lower in the highlands (>1,000 masl) than in the lowlands (<1,000 masl). Finally, evaluating the differences in the recovery percentage of patients, the death-to-case ratio, and the theoretical fraction of undiagnosed cases, we found that the severity of COVID-19 is also decreased above 1,000 m. We conclude that the impact of the COVID-19 decreases significantly with altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Arias-Reyes
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Québec, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Favio Carvajal-Rodriguez
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Québec, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Liliana Poma-Machicao
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Québec, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Fernanda Aliaga-Raduán
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Québec, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Danuzia A. Marques
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Québec, Quebec City, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Mathias Dutschmann
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jorge Soliz
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Institute Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Québec, Quebec City, Canada
- High Altitude Pulmonary and Pathology Institute (HAPPI-IPPA), La Paz, Bolivia
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32
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Lower frequency and letality in women and in altitude due to COVID-19: Two sides of the same coin. Arch Bronconeumol 2021; 57:70-72. [PMID: 34629669 PMCID: PMC7927644 DOI: 10.1016/j.arbres.2021.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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33
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Valverde-Bruffau VJ, Cárdenas L, Gonzales GF. The Pathogenicity of COVID-19 Is Independent of Increasing Altitude: The Case of Colombia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 104:783-785. [PMID: 33372652 PMCID: PMC7866317 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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