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Surveys of the general population can provide crucial information for designing effective nonpharmaceutical interventions to tackle public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, conducting such surveys can be difficult, especially when timely data collection is required. In this viewpoint paper, we discuss our experiences with using targeted Facebook advertising campaigns to address these difficulties in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. We describe central advantages, challenges, and practical considerations. This includes a discussion of potential sources of bias and how they can be addressed.

This paper assesses how Argentine public universities responded to the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic in three dimensions: teaching and learning, scientific research and community engagement, and internationalization activities. For each of the dimensions, the actions developed, and the challenges encountered are presented. I argue that the response was quick and consistent: it is related to an academic culture that is framed in the right to university, both individual right (access, permanence, and graduation to all citizens) and collective right (benefit socio-community development). The article concludes with a preliminary analysis of the agenda items to advance regulations and policies. On several occasions a self-reflective exercise is carried out, as part of a community that is going through this situation of extraordinary urgency.

This article assesses international partnerships by observing research collaboration dynamics of International Relations research groups of MERCOSUR. We contest the models based on "center-periphery" or "North-South" divide as we built our assessment to explain the collaboration dynamics both in an international and regional level from the agent's point of view. We moved beyond Scientometric analysis and conducted an exploratory case study with interviews, a focus group and a questionnaire. We demonstrate that, despite asymmetries, researchers from the South do not have a passive role in the interactions and exchanges, as there is space for reciprocity and agency. We argue that integration of research through international partnerships is pragmatic and the condition of autonomy varies according to the features of the groups, their positions within the field and the prestige of their researchers.

Background: Viral respiratory infections are one of the main causes of hospitalization in children. Even if mortality rate is low, 2% to 3% of the hospitalized children need mechanical ventilation. Risk factors for admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are well known, while few studies have described risk factors for invasive ventilator support and prolonged hospitalization. Methods: A retrospective study including all patients aged between 2 and 18 months with a confirmed viral respiratory infection, requiring admission to PICU from September to March between 2015 and 2019, was conducted at Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome, Italy. Results: One hundred ninety patients were enrolled, with a median age of 2.7 months; 32.1% had at least one comorbidity, mainly prematurity. The most frequent isolated viruses were RSV‐B, rhinovirus, and RSV‐A; 38.4% needed mechanical ventilation. This subgroup of patients had lower median birth weight compared with patients not requiring mechanical ventilation (2800 g vs. 3180 g, p = 0.02); moreover, comorbidities were present in 43.8% of intubated patients and in 24.8% of patients treated with non‐invasive ventilation (p = 0.006). Viral coinfection did not result to be a risk factor for mechanical support, while virus–bacteria coinfection was significantly associated with mechanical ventilation (p < 0.001). Similar risk factors were identified for prolonged hospitalization. Conclusions: Early identification of patients who could have a sudden respiratory deterioration and need of mechanical ventilation is crucial to reduce complications due to orotracheal intubation and prolonged hospitalization in PICU. Further studies are needed to define high‐risk group of patients and to design targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]