Infrastructure at the service of the hospital, the manufacturing of face shields with 3D printers, the support with equipment and professionals regarding the detection of COVID-19 and the tracking of cases, the contribution of knowledge for decision-making processes, and an important support of student volunteers in clinical care, are part of the actions of UFRO to face a pandemic, where stopping its spread depends on everyone.

Given the emergency that the country is experiencing with regard to the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and since the first case in Chile was reported on March 3, the Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO) has taken on the responsibility of carrying out a number of actions to support the work being done by the various health services in the Araucanía Region.

And it is also part of UFRO's social and community commitment to face this crisis scenario, as stated by the rector Dr. Eduardo Hebel Weiss, who stressed the university's willingness to support the health authorities in those areas where its capabilities as a higher education institution and its role as a public and state university are relevant.

In this context, he explained that one of the actions carried out by UFRO was to provide support in terms of infrastructure in the event that the capacity of the hospital network in the region was exceeded.

Rector Hebel explained that this offer was made to Richard Caifal, the deputy governor of the Araucanía region, and that it involved the provision of space that can be used as hospitalization units. “In case of an eventual need for patient hospitalization facilities, we want the regional authorities and the community to know that they can rely on our university. We do have the infrastructure and facilities that would allow such a solution, for example in some of the classrooms, and we are even analyzing the technical possibilities of the rooms located in the Aula Magna.”
The university authority, who also is a physician and a Doctor of medicine, added that one of the great deficiencies in the management of the current crisis has to do with strategies for the tracking of positive cases, and expressed his intention to provide support that allows, for example, to generate follow-up mechanisms.

The Minister of Health, Jaime Mañalich, during his recent visit in the Araucanía region, also appreciated this commitment and contribution. In the context of the assessment of this contingency in the region, he highlighted that they have been working together with several universities, “but in particular with the Universidad de La Frontera to provide human and technological equipment for a better management of this crisis”.

DETECTION OF COVID-19 BY CRP

In an initiative coordinated by the Chilean Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation and the Ministry of Health, the Universidad de La Frontera was asked to provide equipment to perform diagnostic tests for COVID-19 in the Araucanía region.
Through the Araucanía Sur Health Service, the Regional Office of Science in the Macro South Zone and other entities, a census of available equipment was carried out and specialized staff from Dr. Hernán Henríquez Aravena Hospital visited the university facilities, establishing that the Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine and the Center of Excellence in Morphological and Surgical Studies (CEMYQ) meet the requirements of the Institute of Public Health (ISP) for being accredited as entities for the diagnosis of coronavirus.

Currently, these laboratories are in an accreditation process and are expected to be accredited by the ISP within the next few days. In addition, the supplies to perform these tests, the security implements and the methodological training instructions are expected to arrive, in order to start working on the diagnostic tests.

3D PRINTED FACE SHIELDS

The Universidad de Talca, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad de La Frontera, Universidad de Los Lagos and Universidad Austral de Chile have joined forces to manufacture these products that will be used in the public health system.

In the case of UFRO, the professionals in charge are research assistants and engineers of the Composite Materials Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who are manufacturing visors or face shields by using 3D technology. The materials have been donated by different suppliers, who have provided the required plastic material.

On March 31, a donation of 40 face shields was delivered to the Dr. Hernán Henríquez Aravena Hospital in Temuco, and the university will continue the manufacturing process in order to provide them in the most critical stages. They will also be delivered to the Regional Health Service so that this entity can use them according to their requirements.

“As a public university it is essential that we provide support at times of emergency. This is not only a commitment for us, we also have the duty to connect with the community and to provide different services with the help of our employees and students,” said the Vice-rector for Research and Graduate Studies, Renato Hunter.

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS IN CLINICAL CARE

Meanwhile, the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de La Frontera has already submitted the first list of volunteer medical students who are now in their sixth and seventh year of their studies to the Ministry of Health and the Superintendence of Health.

And also the other study programs of the Faculty are developing lists of volunteers from the programs in Physiotherapy, Nutrition and Dietetics, Medical Technology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Nursing and Occupational Therapy.

SUPPORT IN TRACKING COVID-19 CASES AND DECISION-MAKING

The Universidad de La Frontera and the Regional Health Department have established the necessary contacts in order to work together on this health crisis.

The Regional Health Department is interested in working with professionals of the university in order to help with the tracking of COVID-19 case, as well as with the analysis of data for decision-making.

The team of professionals and academics of the UFRO Department of Public Health and the Center of Excellence CIGES will coordinate the different actions of support, which will also include the participation of graduate students and eventually undergraduate students of some of the programs in the field of health, who are in their senior years.

In addition, the team of the UFRO Department of Public Health has the support of the infectious disease expert Carla Concha, of the Regional Health Service, as well as of Jaime Neira, an academic staff member of UFRO.