The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was declared an international emergency by the World Health Organization on January 30, 2020. In Cuba, the first case of COVID-19 was reported on March 11, 2020 [1] .
The response of all nursing, health technology, dentistry and medicine students at the University of Medical Sciences of Santiago de Cuba (UCM-SC) was immediate, and 5,770 students surveyed more than 50% of the population of the province's 9 municipalities. Just 3 days after the first case was diagnosed in the country, they responded to the national call for early, active and systematic search for symptoms of the disease.
This event wasn't just a simple, everyday question; it represented an entire process of significance, in which getting up early in the morning, Monday through Sunday, was a duty fulfilled with passion, only to be welcomed with open arms by a community proud to have young people concerned about their health status. These young people, in addition to asking the necessary questions, took blood pressure and temperature, performed auscultations if necessary, advised on the indication of a treatment or alternatives in natural and traditional medicine, and gave talks to raise awareness about the prevention of this new disease.
In return, the sincere gratitude of a family who followed the guidelines and overcame the illness without complications thanks to early diagnosis; the "see you tomorrow" or "don't let them move you anymore" when it was necessary to rotate blocks ; and even the welcome with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or a snack, which it was mandatory to politely decline to prevent the spread of the disease, were enough.
Along with this, teaching activities continued unabated, and distance learning gained ground. But these activities were only distant from the classroom, with the use of the Virtual Health Classroom in libraries and polyclinics, and even anecdotes of ambulances, providing constant access to semester assignments and course materials that would be continued upon returning to in-person classes. However, the sense of belonging and love for the profession compelled students to think ahead and study independently.
The esteemed professors also provided daily support during the research, and if any questions arose regarding their subjects, they helped with extreme kindness and dedication. Likewise, the family doctor and nurse contributed to the training and included the students in all processes, from health promotion and prevention, to public health concepts, to the Maternal and Child Care Program. This integration of knowledge, skills, and assimilation of professional practice methods was evident in the promotion of over 95% of students in the majority of subjects passed online, and 92% at the end of the semester.
Even so, the mission proved insufficient, both due to the desire to do so and the epidemiological situation. With the opening of field hospitals, UCM-SC students stepped forward to provide support in the red zone. The risk of infection was extremely high, but the willingness to collaborate in whatever was necessary in the fight against the disease was even greater. It was then that 500 students voluntarily, altruistically, and without any financial compensation, entered the faculties converted into isolation centers to assist with food distribution, cleaning facilities, laundry and courier work, patient triage and monitoring, nursing procedures, and even sample collection for RT-PCR (Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction).
Fifteen days of intense work, plus seven days of isolation, not only provided professional experience through the application of knowledge acquired during their studies, but also a boost to personal and human growth that marked everyone's lives: the daily applause at the end of the newscast, the birthday celebration of a newly admitted pediatric patient, and even the spontaneous farewell to the team by the patients with applause, smiles, and their hearts in their hands, thanking and with tears in their eyes, they looked at each other with the satisfaction of a duty fulfilled.
In unison, they volunteered for the Phase II and III clinical trials of the Abdala vaccine candidate, reaffirming that love for the homeland also means trusting scientists and the will of young revolutionaries to defeat the disease despite the difficulties. Once again, the family doctor-nurse partnership was consolidated, with the active participation of the students in all vaccination centers . Their contribution consisted of organizing patients, conducting interviews, taking vital signs, explaining the benefits and importance of the vaccine, and even visiting elderly and physically disabled patients to facilitate their access to the first COVID -19 vaccine in Latin America [2] .
Students in the years closest to graduation also made their small contribution, and thanks to the joint efforts of all the province's stakeholders, 1,181 Cuban and international medical students graduated: 55 in Dentistry, 140 in Nursing, 5 in Clinical Bioanalysis, 20 in Hygiene and Epidemiology, 16 in Short-Cycle Advanced Technicians, and 28 in 9th and 12th grade, respectively. These students, in different settings, faced COVID -19 at the height of the situation in the province, with their hearts as their shield and the defense of patients' health as their banner.
In addition, the participation of 331 students in the study " Sociodemographic characterization of the population affected by COVID-19 in Cuba" is added ; in addition to the prophylactic intervention with BIOMODULINA T® [3] in adults aged ≥ 80 years, in which students of medical sciences careers linked to the offices assigned for the study learned, applied and consolidated techniques and skills such as the interview, informed consent and intramuscular injection, not alien to the current study plans.
All of these were favorable scenarios for the development of student research aimed at finding scientific answers. The monitoring of adverse effects in patients treated with lopinavir/ritonavir and interferon based on their personal experience stands out. It is worth noting that students selected for their scientific careers participated for the first time in history, in the research protocol writing team with the aim of demonstrating the efficacy of Cuban biotechnology industry products in COVID-19 disease . Under the tutelage of the Dr. Rafael Ernesto Toirac Lamarque Chair of Lung Cancer Studies , with the sponsorship of the Center for Molecular Immunology. These experiences were later transmitted nationally through the Cuba vs. COVID-19 Workshop .
Other student scientific events took place online, demonstrating the virtualization of training processes in medical education and the research results achieved. These included the Student Scientific Conference, the History Forum, and the Class Festival held in each of the faculties and branches; these scientific events served to showcase the impact of science on communities, the importance of history in comprehensive education, and the quality of pedagogical preparation in the movement, respectively.
CardioSantiago Event , as an expression of the results obtained by the cardiology student assistant movement in the prevention of what is the leading cause of death worldwide and in Cuba. The 1st National Student Conference on Internal Medicine, Immunology, and Gynecology-Obstetrics ( Matricis 2021), each of which represents the constant and sustained work of the student assistants in teaching and research in their specialties; and which also motivated them to continue their path along the line of doctoral training and contributed to important publications in the UNIMED Student Scientific Journal.
The UCM-SC is proud of its students for their role in combating COVID-19, which earned them recognition from the Ministry of Public Health and the following awards: the Provincial Award for Community Culture, the Neighborhood Award, the Seal of Solidarity and Humanism, and the Youth for Life Award. This demonstrates that, despite the difficulties imposed by the economic, commercial, and financial blockade, medical science students are scientists the nation can count on, in thought and action.
RDRC: Conceptualization, investigation, methodology, formal analysis, project administration, writing of the original draft, writing, review and editing.
JPB: Conceptualization, methodology, supervision, writing, review and editing.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest during the conduct of this research.
No funding was received for the development of this work.
Copyright 2024 Rolando Dario Rosales Campos et al.
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