Abstract
Background
the study of the medium and long‐term consequences of coronavirus infection (SARS‐CoV‐2) is of great relevance from the clinical and public health perspective. Recent evidence has ...shown that patients may present cognitive complaints after overcoming the acute stage of infection, particularly memory disturbances. Although significant progress has been made in the knowledge of this sequel, the studies are generally limited by small sample sizes, cognitive screening techniques with ceiling effects, and samples with healthy subjects without comorbidities, among others. The objective of this study is to compare the cognitive performance of subjects at risk of developing dementia with and without a history of SARS‐CoV‐2 in Uruguay.
Method
participants from the LatAm FINGERS Uruguay Project were included. Performance in the different cognitive tests (symbol‐digit, trail making A, trail making B, free and cued selective remingind test) included in the project protocol was compared between the participants with and without a history of covid infection.
Results
27 subjects with a history of covid infection prior to baseline cognitive assessment and 62 subjects without a history of covid infection were analyzed. None of the participants had serious complications or requiring hospitalization due to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. The performance of both groups in attentional, executive and memory tests was compared. There were no significant differences between groups.
Conclusions
the impact of covid on cognition is still a controversial topic. In our sample of subjects at risk of dementia, there was no evidence of impaired cognitive performance due to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. More studies in underrepresented populations with larger samples are needed to address this issue.
Background Chagas Disease (CD) affects 6-7 million people worldwide and is related to poverty-promoting conditions. Chronic asymptomatic cases are mostly invisible to health systems. Aiming (1) to ...translate CD discoveries into education/information practices to raise alertness and empowerment of affected people; and (2) to perform an active search of CD cases, articulating intersectoral actions to improve the access of infected people to the local health service for the treatment of CD; our research group developed and tested under field conditions as innovative social technology: an itinerant education interdisciplinary setting named "Chagas Express XXI" (CE21). Methodology CE21 was created as an "imaginary train" with ~40 ArtScience workshops, games, laboratory activities and conversation circles. An entry/exit plus six activity modules combined associations of affected people, microscopic observations, One Health education, and wellness activities. CE21 was conceived as a social technology, since all the processes were co-created with CD patients and inter-sector local partners. Descriptive statistics showed quantitative data collected throughout the expeditions (CD knowledge, serological results). Qualitative data accessed the public perceptions about the education activities. Principal findings CE21 was exhibited in local educational institutions (schools, universities) in four cities, engaging 2,117 people that evaluated the 41 activities carried out. Citizens and health professionals enjoyed acquisition of information related to blood, parasites, vectors, reservoirs, environmental changes, and social determinants of CD. Further, local legacies of 600 participants volunteer for health promotion groups and CD associations, local empowerment groups to fight for better health conditions, and 05 mural paintings. We observed that 81% of the participants ignored the possibility of treating CD while 52% of the participants requested a blood test for CD showing seropositivity in 20% of them. Conclusions CE21 is a social technology potentially useful for health and science education and active search of asymptomatic CD chronic cases. Moreover, this technology may be adapted to understand and to cooperate in other potentially epidemic situations, especially NTDs related.
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