Further studies in Guatemala are warranted to establish the prevalence of rickettsioses and to fully characterize the identity of the etiologic agents and vectors.

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Objectives. To measure protocol adherence and antigen-based detection tests (AgDT) negative predictive value after 3 months of massive use as a diagnostic tool for COVID-19 in Guatemala. Methods. The study period included nasopharyngeal swabs taken between March 12 and August 31, 2020, which results were entered in the national COVID-19 information system. Proportional increase in testing between one month before and one month after the introduction of AgDT (May 9–June 8 vs. June 9–July 8) was measured. Results. After AgDT introduction, there was a 139% increase in SARS-CoV-2 testing. Between June 9 and August 31, 7.8% of 110 657 AgDT-negative patients had follow-up RT-PCR testing. Of them, 30% were RT-PCR positive. Conclusions. While introducing AgDT improved access to diagnostics, ensuring the availability of timely RT-PCR capacities to confirm diagnosis is also key.

Recibido: 22 de nov. de 2018 Aceptado: 19 mar. 2019 Introducción: En Guatemala, las tasas de prevalencia y mortalidad por Enfermedad Renal Crónica (ERC) han incrementado durante la última década. Con el fin de obtener información epidemiológica relevante sobre ERC y establecer su relación con factores de riesgo, se realizó un ejercicio de vigilancia epidemiológica en hospitales de la red nacional seleccionados. Métodos: Se describen los resultados de los Hospitales de Quetzaltenango, San Benito Petén y Chimaltenango en el periodo de Octubre 2017 a Marzo del año 2018. Resultados: Se captaron 968 pacientes. La edad media fue de 41 años (DS, 17.4) y el 32% eran de sexo masculino. El 48% de los pacientes eran del Hospital de Chimaltenango, seguidos por el Hospital de Quetzaltenango con 37% y el Hospital de San Benito Petén con 15%. El 40% de los pacientes presentó un peso adecuado, 14% antecedente de hipertensión arterial y el 9%, de diabetes mellitus. La media de la eTFG de los pacientes fue de 98.7 mL/min/1.73m2 (DS, 31.32). El 65% de los pacientes presentó eTFG>90 mL/min/1.73m2, 28% entre 90-60 mL/min/1.73m2 y 7% eTFG< 60 mL/min/1.73m2. De los pacientes con eTFG<60 mL/min/1.73m2, el 29% tuvieron sobrepeso y 13% obesidad, poseen 2.18 veces más probabilidad de tener hipertensión arterial y 4.48 veces de diabetes mellitus con relación a los pacientes con eTFG>90 mL/min/1.73m2. Conclusión: El 7% de los pacientes presentó eTFG por debajo de 60 mL/min/1.73m2. La hipertensión arterial y diabetes mellitus están significativamente asociadas con la disminución eTFG.

Objective. To estimate the early impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination on cases in older populations in four countries (Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, and the United States of America), and on deaths in Chile and Guatemala. Methods. Data were obtained from national databases of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths and vaccinations between 1 July 2020 and 31 August 2021. In each country, pre- and post-vaccination incidence ratios were calculated for COVID-19 cases and deaths in prioritized groups (50–59, 60–69, and ≥70 years) compared with those in the reference group (<50 years). Vaccination effect was calculated as the percentage change in incidence ratios between pre- and post-vaccination periods. Results. The ratio of COVID-19 cases in those aged ≥50 years to those aged <50 years decreased significantly after vaccine implementation by 9.8% (95% CI: 9.5 to 10.1%) in Chile, 22.5% (95% CI: 22.0 to 23.1%) in Colombia, 20.8% (95% CI: 20.6 to 21.1%) in Guatemala, and 7.8% (95% CI: 7.6 to 7.9%) in the USA. Reductions in the ratio were highest in adults aged ≥70 years. The effect of vaccination on deaths, with time lags incorporated, was highest in the age group ≥70 years in both Chile and Guatemala: 14.4% (95% CI: 11.4 to 17.4%) and 37.3% (95% CI: 30.9 to 43.7%), respectively. Conclusions. COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduced morbidity in the early post-vaccination period in targeted groups. In the context of a global pandemic with limited vaccine availability, prioritization strategies are important to reduce the burden of disease in high-risk age groups.