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Background: Latin America has become the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aim to perform a systematic comparative review of the clinical characteristics that are associated with this disease in Latin American countries. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of published articles, journal and/or epidemiological reports of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Latin America. Data were obtained either through publicly available information from Ministries of Health, published journal reports and/or unpublished datasets. We analyzed data from SARS-CoV-2 positive patients evaluated at healthcare centers and hospitals of 8 countries including Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia, between March 1st and July 30th, 2020. These countries consist of a total population that exceeds 519 million. Demographics, comorbidities, and clinical symptoms were collected. Statistical descriptive analysis and correlation analyses of symptoms, comorbidities and mortality were performed. Results: A total of 728,282 COVID-19 patients were included in this study. Of these, 52.6% were female. The average age was 48.4 years. Peru had the oldest cohort with 56.8 years and highest rate of females (56.8%) while Chile had the youngest cohort (39 years old). Venezuela had the highest male prevalence (56.7%). Most common symptoms were cough with 60.1% (Bolivia had the highest rate 78%), fatigue/tiredness with 52.0%, sore throat with 50.3%, and fever with 44.2%. Bolivian patients had fever as the top symptom (83.3%). GI symptoms included diarrhea which was highest in Mexico with 22.9%. Hypertension was among the top (12.1%) comorbidities, followed by diabetes with 8.3% and obesity at 4.5%. In multivariate analyses, the leading and significant comorbidities were hypertension (r = 0.83, p = 0.02), diabetes (r = 0.91, p = 0.01), and obesity (r = 0.86, p = 0.03). Mortality was highest in Mexico (16.6%) and lowest in Venezuela (0.9%) among the analyzed cohorts. Conclusion: Overall, COVID-19 patients in Latin America display cough, fatigue, and fever as main symptoms. Up to 53% of patients with COVID-19 have GI manifestations. Different clinical symptoms were associated with COVID-19 in Latin American countries. Metabolic syndrome components were the main comorbidities associated with poor outcome. Country-specific management and prevention plans are needed and can be established from this meta-analysis. Keywords: Coronavirus Disease-19; Pandemic; Gastrointestinal Manifestation; Diarrhea Abbreviations: ACE2: Angiotensin Receptor 2; CI: Confidence Interval; COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease-19; GI: Gastrointestinal; RT-PCR: Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction; SARS-CoV-2: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2; TMPRSS: Transmembrane Serine Protease

The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide. In its aftermath some individuals have been left with a sequela. This article aims to describe the symptoms and clinical findings reported among patients with Long-COVID and discuss treatment options. Authors collected, analyzed, and presented information on pulmonary, cardiovascular, endocrinological and neurological complications of COVID-19. Literature review was done across multiple journals from January 2020 till July 2022 using key words, such as COVID-19, long-COVID, cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrinological and neurological complications. These words were used as Mesh terms, in order to cover other relevant possible words missing. Similar works found in the references of the studies identified were also reviewed. Long-COVID patients reported a number of findings including dyspnea, pneumonia, myocarditis, thyroiditis, increased complications of diabetes mellitus and neurological complications. Clinical findings indicate the likelihood of compromised health in some individuals with long-COVID. Treatment modalities recommend an interdisciplinary approach to ensure an all-encompassing perspective to rehabilitation and enhanced surveillance in individuals with predisposed risks factors.

The purpose of the literature review is to determine the extent impaired glucose tolerance is controlled by dietary modification alone. The review analyzes the role dietary intervention contributes to preventing the progression of prediabetes to diabetes. Diabetes mellitus describes the diseases of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism that are characterized by hyperglycemia. It is associated with a relative or absolute impairment in insulin secretion, and varying degrees of peripheral resistance to the action of insulin. Clinical practice guidelines describe prediabetes as fasting plasma glucose of 6.1-6.9 mmol/L and HbA1C 6.0-6.4%. Impaired glucose intolerance is a serious health condition and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is a rising threat in our society as the incidence and prevalence has been on the increase among different age population. Articles were identified by searching specified keywords such as prediabetes, dietary modification, and impaired glucose tolerance in three electronic databases (PubMed, GoogleScholar) from 2000 to 2022. About 7 articles fit the inclusion criteria carried out in USA, Serbia, Spain, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, and Germany. The result showed that subjects on low caloric diet and high protein diet experienced a reduction in body weight, waist circumference and BMI. Other studies showed an improvement in impaired glucose within a year, less so in subsequent years as well as remission of prediabetes. However, the findings are varied as the study covers various age groups ranging from 20 years to an average of 59 years for both male and female but does not take into consideration people with pre-existing medical condition like cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and heart failure. The associated risks of complications is high so all efforts are being made to prevent further progression. More evidence is needed on this study as current evidence is limited.