02764nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260003300042100002000075700002200095700001600117700001400133700002000147700001500167700001700182700001300199700001500212700001300227700001400240700001200254700001500266700002100281700001500302700001400317700001500331245015700346856011100503520184800614       2021                            d  bResearch Square Platform LLC1 aGómez I Prat J1 aOuaarab Essadek H1 aEsperalba J1 aSerrat FZ1 aClaveria Guiu I1 aGoterris L1 aZules-Oña R1 aChoque E1 aPastoret C1 aPonce NC1 aSantos JJ1 aPons JS1 aDehousse A1 aAlbajar-Viñas P1 aPumarola T1 aCampins M1 aSulleiro E00aCOVID-19: An Opportunity of Systematic Integration for Chagas Disease. Example of A Community-Based Approach within the Bolivian Population in Barcelona  uhttps://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-783259/v1/ff455e78-8f3b-480f-8039-c98305f96d87.pdf?c=16318880523 a<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
        <jats:p>As a Neglected Tropical Disease associated to Latin America, Chagas Disease (CD) is little known in non-endemic territories of the Americas, Europe and Western Pacific, making its control challenging, with limited detection rates, healthcare access and consequent epidemiological silence. This is reinforced by its biomedical characteristics - it is usually asymptomatic - and the fact that it mostly affects people with low social and financial resources. Because CD is mainly a chronic infection, which principally causes a cardiomyopathy and can also cause a prothrombotic status, it increases the risk of contracting severe COVID-19.In order to get an accurate picture of CD and COVID-19 overlapping and co-infection, this operational research draws on community-based experience and participative-action-research components. It was conducted during the Bolivian elections in Barcelona on a representative sample of that community. The results show that 55% of the people interviewed had already undergone a previous <jats:italic>T. cruzi</jats:italic> infection screening - among which 81% were diagnosed in Catalonia and 19% in Bolivia. The prevalence of <jats:italic>T. cruzi</jats:italic> infection was 18.3% (with 3.3% of discordant results), the SARS-CoV-2<jats:bold> </jats:bold>22.3% and the coinfection rate, 6%. The benefits of an integrated approach for COVID-19 and CD were shown, since it only took an average of 25% of additional time per patient and undoubtedly empowered the patients about the co-infection, its detection and care. Finally, the rapid diagnostic test used for COVID-19 showed a sensitivity of 89.5%. This research addresses CD and its co-infection, through an innovative way, an opportunity of systematic integration, during the COVID-19 pandemic.</jats:p>