COVID-19: Pandemic in Ecuador: a health disparities perspective

Abstract

The global COVID-19 pandemic initiated in Ecuador with the patient zero in February 2020 and since more than 40,000 persons have been tested positive to the virus, leaving some 3,500 deceased, while approximately about 10,500 persons above annual average numbers died within March to May. A strict lockdown was applied by mid-March, which resulted to a severe economic crisis in the country. Although during the lockdown occurred a notable decrease in the number of new cases, the spread of the infection was already massive, untechnical, political and economic decisions will certainly lead to continuous wave of infections for months.Objective Our study postulates, that persons who are most likely to be infected during such secondary wave will be people who have already health issues to which we count besides the known ones, especially those who are already suffer by the distribution of volcanic ashes, as such pyroclastic material is known to affect lunges and thyroids.Methods A descriptive ecological study of information related to COVID-19 infection at a national level using official data from the Minister of Public Health and volcanic ash fall by geographical area in Ecuador.Results The mortality rate per canton indicated that those with lower attack rates are the ones with highest mortality rate. For instance, Portovelo (21.3/100,000), Playas (18.4/100,000), Santa Rosa (15.8/100,000), Suscal (15.3/100,000) and Penipe (14.3/100,000) reported the highest mortality rate per 100,000 people. The main distribution of such volcanic material is within the central to northern area of the Highlands and Inter-Andean Valley of Ecuador, due to the analysis of some 7394 satellite images of the last 21 years.Conclusions We conclude that areas with high vulnerabilities are also most susceptible to develop COVID-19. Such areas with their respective populations will be affected above average and shall be protected in particular within the presently starting during possible second wave of infection.

Uso de tecnología y malestar durante la pandemia por COVID-19 en Ecuador

“…Igualmente, se ha encontrado que las personas jóvenes tienen mayores probabilidades de ser despedidas, lo cual contribuye a mayores niveles de inseguridad económica (Santomauro et al, 2021). En conjunto, la emergencia sanitaria ha dejado entre-ver la gravedad y las consecuencias que tienen las inequidades estructurales asociadas a factores como la edad, el género, el nivel socioeconómico, la etnia, entre otros (Amimo et al, 2020;Ausín et al, 2021;Pardo & Cobo, 2020;Toulkeridis et al, 2020;Vizcarra et al, 2020).…”

Excess Mortality Data Analysis of COVID-19 Infections and Fatalities in Ecuador

“…Such aerosols and droplets appear with an estimated diameter of 5 to 10 micrometers (µm), and also through droplet nuclei, whose diameter is less than 5 micrometer (OMS, 2014;Smieszek et al, 2019). Social, cultural, or environmental circumstances have been responsible for the unusual higher spreading of the virus (Chakraborty et al, 2020;Sharifi et al, 2020;Roberto et al, 2020;Wolf et al, 2020;Lakshmi et al, 2020;Toulkeridis et al, 2020;Toulkeridis et al, 2021). Patient zero is still unknown, but the first appearance of the virus originated from China, either by an indirect contagion from a bat through an unknown mammal to a human or less likely by a laboratory leak presumably by the end of 2019 (Rothan et al, 2020;Zhang et al, 2020;Shahzad et al, 2020;Shi et al, 2021).…”