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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 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 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 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.

COVID-19 has caused thousands of deaths worldwide and undermined the economy of those countries which have been ravaged by the pandemic. In this paper, we present an agent-based simulation to study the propagation of COVID-19 in Ibirama (SC). The simulation uses real population, educational, and business data, as well as the actual map of the city containing its traffic network and location of educational institutions and businesses. The simulation considers students and workers agents, which move around the environment and interact with each other. Different social distancing scenarios of these agents were simulated. The results obtained indicate that social distancing policies are effective in reducing the spread of the virus.

The non-structural protein 15 (NSP15, NendoUSARS-CoV-2) from severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) is an uridylate-specific endoribonuclease, likely responsible in the viral immune evasion mechanism. This TEP provides a set of reagents for further interrogation of the molecular function of NSP15. We have established a purification protocol for the active protein for biochemical and structural studies. Moreover, we have crystallised the protein and performed a crystallographic fragment screen which yielded several hits. Data generated here will be used for the development of enzyme inhibitors that would illuminate the biological role of the gene product, and eventually point the way to new antiviral therapies. This document represents version 1 of the TEP datasheet and includes all updates on the project as of November 2020. For more information about TEPs and the TEP Programme, please visit https://www.cmd.ox.ac.uk/TEP.

Database COVID