The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, created a rapidly unfolding health crisis, especially in the initial phases of the pandemic. In the early stages of the pandemic, various strategies were proposed for COVID-19 prophylaxis and treatment with very little scientific evidence available. Among these proposed treatments were ivermectin and chlorine dioxide, which were both used widely in Peru for both disease prevention and treatment without considering their problematic side effects. For instance, ivermectin was part of an approved therapeutic scheme based on in vitro data, although its efficacy in humans was not demonstrated. In addition, chlorine dioxide was never shown to be effective but causes threatening side effects. In this article, we discuss current information regarding chlorine dioxide and ivermectin in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on experiences in Peru.

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Arterial blood gas is a procedure that allows knowing the internal environment of a person through an arterial puncture; however, its results are different according to altitude and barometric pressure. The objective was to evaluate the differences in arterial blood gas (AGA) values of healthy adult inhabitants in Florencia de Mora (FM) at 115 and in Huamachuco (H) at 3164 meters above sea level. Descriptive, cross‐sectional and comparative study. 114 samples were analyzed, made up of two independent groups that met the selection criteria, of 57 inhabitants each, during the months of April and May 2019. A GPS altimeter was used to determine the altitude level. International research guidelines were met. Of the 114, 64 (56%) were women and 50 (44%) were men, with a mean age in FM of 34 and 21 years in H. The pH corrected to the temperature was 7.412 in FM and 7.428 in H (p <0.001). The following means were obtained: PO2 in FM was 110.7 and in H was 69.9 mmHg (p<0.001); pCO2 in FM was 36.0 and in H 32.2 mmHg (p<0.001); HCO3‐ in FM was 23.12 and in H it was 21.37 mmol/L (p<0.001); BE (B), in FM it was 1.3 and in H it was ‐2.2 mmol/L (p<0.001); SatO2 in FM was 95.2 and in H 94.2% (p <0.001); A‐aDO2 in FM was 35.8 and in H 41.2 mmHg (p<0.001); THbc in FM of 14.6 g/dL and in H of 15.5 g/dL (p<0.001); lactate in FM of 2.1 and in H of 2.4 mmol/L (p<0.001). There are significant differences when comparing AGA values. The 5th and 95th percentiles of the AGA obtained in the total population and according to sex of H.

Background: High altitude exposure triggers a series of physiological changes to maintain homeostasis. Although longer-term (days to years) acclimatization processes are well studied, less is known about the physiological changes upon rapid ascent. We took advantage of Peru’s geography to measure the first physiological changes following rapid transport from a low to a high-altitude environment among lowlanders. Methods: Blood glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and salivary cortisol among healthy lowland Peruvians were measured before and after glucose ingestion at 40 m and upon arrival at 3470 m. Resting heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and blood pressure were also monitored. Results: At high altitude, we find a significant (p<0.05) increase in heart rate and a decrease in blood oxygen saturation and salivary cortisol. Additionally, baseline levels of blood glucose, plasma C-peptide, and cortisol were reduced (p<0.05). Blood glucose, plasma insulin, and plasma C-peptide returned to baseline or below faster at high altitude after glucose ingestion. Conclusions: Although many overlapping environmental and physiological factors are present in the high-altitude environment, the first steps of acclimatization in this population appear to be caused by increased energy expenditure and glucose metabolism to maintain oxygen homeostasis until the longer-term acclimatization mechanisms become more significant.

IntroductionCardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Cardiovascular risk factors are present in increasingly younger populations and medical students are no exception.ObjectivesTo determine if there is a relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and academic performance in medical students enrolled during 2015 at Antenor Orrego Private University (UPAO) in Trujillo, Peru.MethodsA descriptive, cross‐sectional study was performed on a population of 78 second‐year medical students (74% female, mean age of 18.9±1.5 years). Family history of CVD, medical history, tobacco use, vital functions, body mass index, waist – hip index (WHI), serum glycemia levels, electrocardiogram and lipid profile (ATP III) were evaluated. Academic performance was measured using the grade obtained in the morphophysiology I course.ResultsCardiovascular risk factors associated (p<0.05) with poor academic performance were pre‐hypertension in women and men and a WHI > 0.8 in women.ConclusionsCardiovascular risk factors correlate with academic performance of medical students, which underlines the importance of mitigating such risk factors.Support or Funding InformationAntenor Orrego Private University (UPAO)