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ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To compare the incidence of covid-19 symptoms between informal home-based workers and a control group and to assess the association of these cases with blood elements concentrations and other relevant risk factors for Sars-Cov-2 infection. METHODS Welders chemically exposed to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (n = 26) and control participants (n = 25) answered questionnaires on adherence to social distancing and signs and symptoms of the disease for five months during the covid-19 pandemic. After follow-up, covid-19 serology tests were performed on a subsample of 12 chemically exposed workers and 20 control participants. Before the pandemic, PTE concentrations in blood (As, Mn, Ni, Cd, Hg, Sb, Sn, Cu, Zn, and Pb) were measured by ICP-MS. RESULTS The chemically exposed group had higher lead and cadmium levels in blood (p < 0.01). The control group presented lower adherence to social distancing (p = 0.016). Although not significant, welders had a 74% greater chance of having at least one covid-19 symptom compared with control participants, but their adherence to social distancing decreased this chance by 20%. The use of taxis for transportation was a risk factor significantly associated with covid-19 symptoms. CONCLUSION The lower adherence to social distancing among the control group greatly influences the development of covid-19. The literature lacks data linking exposure to PTEs and Sars-Cov-2 infection and/or severity. In this study, despite chemical exposure, working from home may have protected welders against covid-19, considering that they maintained greater social distancing than control participants.

Abstract: Introduction: Preventing and fighting COVID-19 are of the utmost importance. In this context, the importance of using telemedicine tools has grown, including teleconsultations, epidemiological telemonitoring, remote diagnosis, support, and training of health professionals. Objective: This article aims to report the results of a distance-training course on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. We analyze the course adherence, the students’ profile, pre, and post-test proficiency index and satisfaction with the course. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that evaluated data from the course on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. The data were analyzed in terms of distribution and comparisons of means and frequencies. A paired t-test was used to compare the pre and post-test grades. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Data were collected from the Moodle teaching platform, without identifying the participants. Results: From March 23 to May 14, the course was offered to 1,008 medical students and health care providers. Most were from the state of Minas Gerais, some from other Brazilian states, and Mozambique. The majority completed the course, with an 89.8% adherence. The evaluations related to the course, the tutors, the degree of satisfaction, and the security for the professional performance after the course obtained maximum scores. The comparison between the pre and post grades showed proficiency gain (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The course has contributed to the training of medical students and health professionals from Brazil and Mozambique. The organizing committee was able to prepare students and provide knowledge to professionals with difficulty to access good technical and evidence-based information. After the training, the students were selected to work on university projects aiming at supporting city halls, health departments, and the community.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Data at admission, laboratory data and treatment. Table S2. Frquency of hospital permanence. Table S3. Clinical data of COVID-19 patients with diabetes on hospital admission. Table S4. Laboratory data of COVID-19 patients with diabetes on-admission. Table S5. Treatment data during hospitalization of COVID-19 patients with diabetes. Table S6. Clinical data of COVID-19 patients withou diabetes on hospital admission. Table S7. Laboratory data of COVID-19 patients without diabetes on-admission. Table S8. Treatment data during hospitalization of COVID-19 patient withou diabetes. Table S9. Clinical data of COVID-19 patients on hospital admission that went to death. Table S10. Laboratory data of COVID-19 patients that went to death on-admission. Table S11. Treatment data during hospitalization of COVID-19 patients that went to death. Table S12. Frequency of according to age. Table S13. Frequency of death according to body mass index. Table S14. Frquency of death according to glucose levels. Table S15. Multivariate correlations among standard variables obtained at patient admission. Table S16. First two principal components from the inflammation related variables obtained at patient. Table S17. Multivariate correlations among inflammation related variables obtained at patient admission. Table S18. Multivariate correlations among coagulation related variables obtained at patient admission. Table S19. Multivariate correlations among variables related to renal function obtained at patient. Figure S1. Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curves on the outcome death/release of the laboratory data obtained at patient at admission Adm PC 1 (A) and Adm PC2 (B).

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the antenatal care adequacy for women who gave birth at the University Hospital of Santa Catarina in Florianopolis (Brazil) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to evaluate the association of adequacy with sociodemographic, clinical, and access characteristics. Methods Data were collected between October and December 2020, including 254 patients who delivered in the University Hospital from Federal University of Santa Catarina and answered our questionnaires. Additional data were obtained from patients’ antenatal booklets. Antenatal care was classified as adequate, intermediate, or inadequate according to the number of appointments, gestational age at the beginning of follow-up, and tests results. We carried out a descriptive statistical analysis and a bivariate/with odds ratio analysis onmaternal sociodemographic, clinical and health access variables that were compared with antenatal adequacy. Results Antenatal care was considered adequate in 35.8% of cases, intermediate in 46.8%, and inadequate in 17.4%. The followingmaternal variables were associated with inadequate prenatal care (intermediate or inadequate prenatal care): having black or brown skin colour, having two or more children, being of foreign nationality, not being fluent in Portuguese, and using illicit drugs during pregnancy; the clinical variables were more than 6 weeks between appointments, and not attending high-risk antenatal care; as for access, the variables were difficulties in attending or scheduling appointments, and attending virtual appointments only. Conclusion In a sample of pregnant women from a teaching hospital in Florianópolis during the COVID-19 pandemic, antenatal care was considered adequate in 35.8%, intermediate in 46.8%, and inadequate in 17.4% of cases.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Considering the disruptions imposed by lockdowns and social distancing recommendations, coupled with overwhelmed healthcare systems, researchers worldwide have been exploring drug repositioning strategies for treating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). OBJECTIVE: To compile results from randomized clinical trials on the effect of dexamethasone, compared with standard treatment for management of SARS-CoV-2. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in a Brazilian public university. METHODS: We sought to compile data from 6724 hospitalized patients with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: Treatment with dexamethasone significantly reduced mortality within 28 days (risk ratio, RR: 0.89; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.82-0.97). Dexamethasone use was linked with being discharged alive within 28 days (odds ratio, OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.07-1.33). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that dexamethasone may significantly improve the outcome among hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated severe respiratory complications. Further studies need to consider both dose-dependent administration and outcomes in early and later stages of the disease. PROSPERO platform: CRD42021229825.

Additional file 2: Table S2. Group comparison analysis.

Abstract Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) has been shown to be a neurological manifestation of COVID-19. The current study presents two cases of PFP after COVID-19, along with a rapid review of known cases in the literature. Both case reports were conducted following CARE guidelines. We also performed a systematic review of PFP cases temporally related to COVID-19 using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases on August 30, 2021, using a rapid review methodology. The two patients experienced PFP 102 and 110 days after COVID-19 symptom onset. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in nasal samples through reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) testing. Anosmia was the only other neurological manifestation. PFP was treated with steroids in both cases, with complete subsequent recovery. In the rapid review, we identified 764 articles and included 43 studies. From those, 128 patients with PFP were analyzed, of whom 42.1% (54/128) were male, 39.06% (50/128) female, and in 23 cases the gender was not reported. The age range was 18 to 59 (54.68%). The median time between COVID-19 and PFP was three days (ranging from the first symptom of COVID-19 to 40 days after the acute phase of infection). Late PFP associated with COVID-19 presents mild symptoms and improves with time, with no identified predictors. Late PFP should be added to the spectrum of neurological manifestations associated with the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection as a post COVID-19 condition.

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, people with low back pain (LBP) might have avoided seeking care for their pain. We aimed to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected LBP care seeking behavior among adults. Methods Data from four assessments of the PAMPA cohort were analyzed. Participants who reported experiencing LBP during wave one both before and during social restrictions (n = 1,753 and n = 1,712, respectively), wave two (n = 2,009), and wave three (n = 2,482) were included. We asked participants about sociodemographic, behavioral, and health factors and outcomes related to LBP. Poisson regression analyses were conducted, and data are presented as prevalence ratios (PR) and respective 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Results Overall, care seeking behavior decreased by half in the first months of restrictions, from 51.5% to 25.2%. Although there was an increase in care seeking behavior observed in the other two assessments (nearly 10 and 16 months after restrictions), it was insufficient to reach pre-pandemic levels. In the first months of restrictions, a similar scenario was observed for specific care, such as general practitioner and exercise professional care, with proportions of pre-pandemic levels reached after 10 and 16 months. Women were more likely to seek care for LBP 10 and 16 months after restrictions (PR 1.30 95%CI 1.11; 1.52, PR 1.22 95%CI 1.06; 1.39, respectively). Also, those participants who worked, were physically active, and reported pain-related disability and high pain levels were more likely to seek care at all time points assessed. Conclusion Overall, care-seeking behavior for LBP significantly decreased in the first months of restrictions and increased in the following months; however, this behavior remained lower than pre-pandemic levels.

This repository provides the Brazilian Ministry of Health’s (MoH) open microdata registers from the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign used in the paper Age reporting for the oldest old in the Brazilian COVID-19 vaccination database: what can we learn from it? The dataset was downloaded on 14 March 2022 and was initially available at openDataSus Campanha Nacional de Vacinação contra Covid-19 under a CC BY 4.0 license. The reproducible R code and other datasets for the paper are available on GitHub at Age reporting for the oldest old in the Brazilian COVID-19 vaccination database: what can we learn from it?