Humankind is currently facing a challenge that distinguishes no borders, ideologies, socioeconomic systems, ethnic groups, religions or cultures. It is a war that unites us as a biological species, in which the main weapons come from research aimed at improving health systems. In this war, governments and international health organizations define the strategy; and health systems and law enforcement agencies, together with citizens’ support, carry out actions and fight the battles. However, the most important battle is fought inside each of us. Just like Perseus fought against Hades in a battle of titans to prevent the Earth from turning into hell, the immune system activates a powerful machinery in which molecules and cells of the innate and acquired immune system jointly act to defeat SARS-Cov-2: a machinery that follows a script written by evolution, and that will leave in our immune...

El 9 de febrero de 2024 se cumplieron tres años desde que la vacuna de la empresa Sinopharm fue aplicada por primera vez en el Perú; los profesionales de la salud fueron el primer grupo poblacional en recibirla (1). Este hito ocurrió mientras los peruanos vivían en un contexto de imparable confusión y creciente temor ante el virus SARS-CoV-2, pero con la esperanza de que la ciencia, haciendo gala de sus herramientas, pudiera mostrar a la población la tan ansiada luz al final del túnel pandémico. En el Centro de Investigación de Virología de la Universidad de San Martín de Porres (CIV-USMP) se ha revisado información relevante, tanto a nivel nacional como internacional, y se ha reflexionado sobre los tres años transcurridos desde aquella primera dosis de la vacuna BBIBP-CorV de Sinopharm en nuestro país.

In 2019, in the city of Wuhan, China, patients were diagnosed with a novel coronavirus originally named 2019-nCoV, currently known as SARS-CoV-2. The alarming expansion of this pandemic makes it necessary to find out and implement reliable diagnostic methods in order to properly detect and treat patients, thus contributing to slowing down the spread of the disease. It is extremely important to have trained professionals in sample collection, good clinical laboratory practices, and molecular and hematological techniques to adequately detect any cases of infection with this virus. Moreover, standardized protocols are essential for obtaining, transferring and storing samples to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Objective: To describe the presence and the concentration of neutralizing antibodies at serum of healthcare professionals inoculated with the Sinopharm anti-SARS-CoV2 vaccine. Materials and methods: Descriptive and transversal research. A total of 117 healthcare professionals inoculated with two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine having quantitative data of neutralizing antibodies at serum (detected by eCLIA) were included. Age, sex, neutralizing antibodies concentration and previous diagnostic of COVID-19 diseases were the variables. Results: A significant increase on neutralizing antibodies concentration were detected on pre- COVID-19 vaccinated persons regarding those vaccinated without previous diagnostic of the viral infection (p < 0,001). Conclusions: the study evidence that Sinopharm vaccine boost immunity against the new coronavirus on previously infected persons and suggest that ...

Objective: To describe the concentration of neutralizing antibodies in serum from healthcare professionals who received any of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines developed by Sinopharm, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson, or CureVac’s vaccine candidate. Materials and methods: An observational, descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional research which included 217 healthcare professionals fully vaccinated with Sinopharm, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines, or CureVac’s vaccine candidate. The presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in serum was determined in these individuals using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Variables such as age, sex, history of infection with SARS-CoV-2, concentration of neutralizing antibodies and brand of vaccine administered were considered. Results: Sixteen point six zero percent (16.60 %) of the healthcare professionals stated tha...

The novel COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is currently challenging humankind. This virus originated in bats has probably been transmitted to humans through pangolins in the Wuhan marine market (China) by the end of 2019. It is spread by droplets of saliva or through contaminated materials, making it extremely important to isolate infected people who may be symptomatic or asymptomatic. The typical clinical features of this disease are fever, dry cough, shortness of breath and general malaise. This member of the coronavirus family shows higher infectivity but lower mortality rates (2–3 %) than its predecessors. Laboratory tests to detect the virus include reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests or immunoassays.