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BACKGROUND: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions had to swiftly adapt and transition to remote teaching in order to maintain academic activities. However, these changes presented a number of challenges for professors, which could have negative effects on their health. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between changes in dietary and sleep habits, physical activity level, and sedentary behavior with the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among Brazilian higher education professors during the pandemic period. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional and retrospective study conducted using an online form. Generalized linear models, adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, were used to verify the difference between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Logistic regression models were used to predict the odds ratio (OR) for the development of NCDs according to physical activity time, sedentary behavior time, dietary and sleep patterns. RESULTS: A total of 936 professors residing across Brazil participated in the survey. The duration of sedentary behavior increased, sleep duration slightly decreased, and meal times shifted to earlier during the pandemic. A total of 22.9%of the participants reported the diagnosis of some NCDs during this period. Physical activity practice was associated with a lower risk of diseases during the pandemic, regardless of the intensity performed. On the other hand, late eating habits and excessive food consumption during the pandemic were associated with a higher risk. CONCLUSION: The results provide data that can help in the development of public policies that promote health actions to minimize the consequences associated with the pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Fisioterapia Brasil is the property of Atlantica Editora and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Identifying clinical characteristics and risk factors, comorbid conditions, and complications arising from SARS-CoV-2 infection is important to predict the progression to more severe forms of the disease among hospitalized individuals to enable timely intervention and to prevent fatal outcomes. The aim of the study is to assess the possible role of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a biomarker of the risk of death in patients with comorbidities hospitalized with COVID-19 in a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study on patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to a hospital in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre from September 2020 to March 2022. Results: The sample consisted of 185 patients with associated comorbidities, namely, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal diseases, hospitalized with COVID-19. Of these, 78 died and 107 were discharged alive. The mean age was 66.5 years for the group that died and 60.1 years for the group discharged. Statistical analysis revealed that a difference greater than or equal to 1.55 in the NLR, from hospitalization to the 5th day, was associated with a relative risk of death greater than 2. Conclusions: Measuring a simple inflammatory marker such as NLR may improve the risk stratification of comorbid patients with COVID-19 and can be considered a useful biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study is to compare the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis (TB) in the prepandemic period (2017-2019) with the pandemic period (2020-2022), in a group of healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: This is a retrospective study. Data on TB diagnosis was retrieved from the hospital information system database. All HCWs who underwent tuberculin skin test (TST) from January 2017 to December 2022 were included in the study. Results: In the prepandemic period (2017-2019), 163 HCWs out of 710 were TST positive (22.9%), and in the pandemic period (2020-2022), 85 HCWs out of 449 were TST positive (18.9%) (P = 0.11). There were 10 HCWs diagnosed with TB in the prepandemic period (incidence: 41.7/100,000) and 2 in the pandemic period (incidence: 8.3/100,000) (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study showed that TB incidence was reduced during the pandemic period in HCWs. TST positivity was also reduced, though not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since starts the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic identified the presence of genomic fragments of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in various environmental matrices: domestic sewage, surface waters, and contaminated freshwater. Environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 is a tool for evaluating trend curves over the months, compared to several clinical cases of the disease. The objective of this study was to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples collected in different sites in a metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. During 10 months from 2020 to 2021, 300 samples were collected weekly and biweekly from nine points located in 3 cities: one point from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in São Leopoldo (fortnightly collection), two points in Dilúvio Stream in Porto Alegre (fortnightly collection), two points in Pampa and Luiz Rau Streams (weekly collection), and two points in public fountains (fortnightly collection) in Novo Hamburgo. After collection, samples were concentrated by ultracentrifugation, and viral nucleic acids were extracted using MagMax® Core Nucleic Acid Purifications kits and submitted to RT-qPCR, using E, N1, and N2 gene targets of SARS-CoV-2. Only 7% (3/41) samples from public fountains were positive, with a mean viral load (VL) of SARS-CoV-2 RNA of 5.02 × 101 gc/l (2.41~8.59 × 101 gc/l), while the streams had average VL of 7.43 × 105 gc/l (Pampa), 7.06 × 105 gc/l (Luiz Rau), 2.01 × 105 gc/l (Dilúvio), and 4.46 × 105 cg/l (WWTP). The results showed varying levels of viral presence in different sample types, with a demonstrated correlation between environmental viral load and clinical COVID-19 cases. These findings contribute to understanding virus persistence and transmission pathways in the environment. Continuous monitoring, especially in less developed regions, is crucial for early detection of vaccine resistance, new variants, and potential COVID-19 resurgence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Because Brazil presents continental dimensions containing a rich biodiversity, this review aims to map the presence of coronavirus (CoV) and paramyxovirus (PMV) genetics related to human-relevant pathogens in bats. The CoVs and PMVs reported in Brazilian bats were genetically closely related to some human pathogens. The majority of works assayed phyllostomid, molossid and vespertilionid bats and found a majority of alpha-CoVs and few reports of beta-CoVs grouped in the Merbecovirus and Embecovirus subgenera, where MERS-CoV and HCoV OC43 are classified, respectively. The PMVs reported in Brazilian bats were classified in the Jeilongvirus and Morbillivirus genera. Despite the growing number of studies on CoVs and PMVs in bats in Brazil, when we compare the number of reports to the number of bat species found in Brazil, the representativeness of the viruses found and the available genomes, it can be perceived that there may be gaps in the knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention and give relative importance and encouragement to future studies on bats, especially in relation to viruses with significant zoonotic potential, such as CoVs and PMVs. Chiroptera are one of the most diverse mammal orders. They are considered reservoirs of main human pathogens, where coronaviruses (CoVs) and paramyxoviruses (PMVs) may be highlighted. Moreover, the growing number of publications on CoVs and PMVs in wildlife reinforces the scientific community's interest in eco-vigilance, especially because of the emergence of important human pathogens such as the SARS-CoV-2 and Nipha viruses. Considering that Brazil presents continental dimensions, is biologically rich containing one of the most diverse continental biotas and presents a rich biodiversity of animals classified in the order Chiroptera, the mapping of CoV and PMV genetics related to human pathogens is important and the aim of the present work. CoVs can be classified into four genera: Alphacoronavirus, Betacoronavirus, Deltacoronavirus and Gammacoronavirus. Delta- and gammacoronaviruses infect mainly birds, while alpha- and betacoronaviruses contain important animal and human pathogens. Almost 60% of alpha- and betacoronaviruses are related to bats, which are considered natural hosts of these viral genera members. The studies on CoV presence in bats from Brazil have mainly assayed phyllostomid, molossid and vespertilionid bats in the South, Southeast and North territories. Despite Brazil not hosting rhinophilid or pteropodid bats, which are natural reservoirs of SARS-related CoVs and henipaviruses, respectively, CoVs and PMVs reported in Brazilian bats are genetically closely related to some human pathogens. Most works performed with Brazilian bats reported alpha-CoVs that were closely related to other bat-CoVs, despite a few reports of beta-CoVs grouped in the Merbecovirus and Embecovirus subgenera. The family Paramyxoviridae includes four subfamilies (Avulavirinae, Metaparamyxovirinae, Orthoparamyxovirinae and Rubulavirinae), and bats are significant drivers of PMV cross-species viral transmission. Additionally, the studies that have evaluated PMV presence in Brazilian bats have mainly found sequences classified in the Jeilongvirus and Morbillivirus genera that belong to the Orthoparamyxovirinae subfamily. Despite the increasing amount of research on Brazilian bats, studies analyzing these samples are still scarce. When surveying the representativeness of the CoVs and PMVs found and the available genomic sequences, it can be perceived that there may be gaps in the knowledge. The continuous monitoring of viral sequences that are closely related to human pathogens may be helpful in mapping and predicting future hotspots in the emergence of zoonotic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Paulista de Enfermagem is the property of Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Coronavirus é uma família de vírus que resultou em uma pandemia mundial. A Covid-19 surgiu na cidade de Wuhan na China e chegou ao Brasil. Em território europeu, Espanha e Itália foram os primeiros países afetados, antes de todo o continente. A progressão da circulação COVID-19 continua em várias áreas. A pandemia COVID-19 teve um impacto sem precedentes na vida de muitas pessoas. Este é um estudo de cenário da epidemia de COVID-19 no Brasil utilizando os instrumentos de análise de matriz SWOT. Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática da literatura, nas bases de dados Web of Science, Science Direct e Scopus, que resultou na análise completa de 17 artigos. Os resultados apontam os pontos fortes, fracos, oportunidades e ameaças considerando o contexto particular. Essa análise permite uma avaliação holística do problema e pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento e direcionamento de estratégias de prevenção e controle da doença. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic has changed several aspects in human behaviour, whereas population mobility patterns have been strongly affected by social distancing. In parallel, changes in solid waste generation patterns have been reported worldwide. This work assessed the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on waste generation and collection in São Paulo city, Brazil, the largest city of Latin America. Data on nine types of wastes collected between 2013 and 2021 were obtained, and the quantities of wastes collected before and during the pandemic were compared. These data were also discussed in light of data on COVID-19 cases and rates of social distancing and mobility. An increase in the amount of recyclables collected during the first wave of COVID-19 (March to September 2020) was observed. Decreases in the quantities of construction, demolition and bulky wastes (first wave of COVID-19) and farmers market wastes (second wave – October 2020 to February 2021) were also evidenced. The quantities of medical wastes collected during the pandemic significantly increased. The amount of residential wastes was lower than the mean for the pre-pandemic period during the first months of COVID-19. Thus, changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns of the population of São Paulo city seem to have affected solid waste generation during the pandemic, which reinforces the need of implementing solid waste management policies based on a diagnostic that characterise and consider these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees (Apis mellifera). It is used for its biological properties. This natural product is available as a safe therapeutic option. Herein, we report the antiviral effects of brown propolis extract from Mexico and green and red propolis extracts from Brazil, as well as their phenolic compounds (quercetin, caffeic acid, and rutin) in preventing infection of MRC-5 cells by HCoV-229E. Normal human fibroblast lung cells (MRC-5) were used to determine the cytotoxicity of the compounds. All samples studied showed antiviral activity. Green and brown propolis extracts, and quercetin exhibited the best EC50 values with values of 19.080, 11.240, and 77.208 µg/mL against HCoV-229E, respectively, and with TC50 of 62.19, 29.192, and 298 µg/mL on MRC-5 cells, respectively. These results are the first in vitro study of the effects of propolis on HCoV-229E and provide the basis for the development of natural formulations against other coronavirus strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of our study on the public perception of science during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, carried out at the Centro de Estudos SoU_Ciência, from Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). To answer the question: “Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the perception of Brazilian society about science, scientists, and universities?”, quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted between August 2021 and July 2022. In national quantitative public opinion surveys, we collected exclusive data from a historical series of polls on the subject in Brazil, and in focus groups, we deepened studies on the perception and political position of different social segments. Amid the growth of scientific denialism; political and social setbacks; and the dismantling of public policies, specifically scientific and technological, resulting from the impeachment of 2016 and the election of Bolsonaro in 2018, research indicates, apparently contrary to an obscurantist political tendency, a significant expansion of public interest in science during the pandemic in the country. This paper analyzes the emergence of a “pro-science wave” in public opinion in Brazil, the factors that led to its emergence during the pandemic, and its current prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Dental Sciences is the property of Turkiye Klinikleri and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is involved in the activation and regulation of the complement system, demonstrating an important role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. The aim was to evaluate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in PTX3 and its plasma levels with the severity of COVID-19. This is a retrospective cohort study, carried out between August 2020 and July 2021, including patients with confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized in 2 hospitals in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Polymorphisms in PTX3 (rs1840680 and rs2305619) were determined by real-time PCR. PTX3 plasma levels were measured by ELISA. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10 were determined by flow cytometry. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify parameters independently associated with COVID-19 severity. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. The study included 496 patients, classified as moderate (n = 267) and severe (n = 229) cases. The PTX3 AA genotype (rs1840680) was independently associated with protection against severe COVID-19 (P = 0.037; odds ratio = 0.555). PTX3 plasma levels were significantly associated with COVID-19 severity and mortality (P < 0.05). PTX3 levels were significantly correlated with IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, C-reactive protein, total leukocytes, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, urea, creatinine, ferritin, length of hospital stay, and higher respiratory rate (P < 0.05). Our results revealed a protective effect of the PTX3 AA genotype (rs1840680) on the development of severe forms of COVID-19. Additionally, PTX3 plasma levels were associated with the severity of COVID-19. The results of this study provide evidence of an important role of PTX3 in the immunopathology of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to identify the working conditions of Brazilian nursing professionals and the risk factors for these professionals to become infected by coronavirus disease. Background: Understanding the factors that affected nursing professionals during the pandemic can support better nursing management. Design: This is a quantitative, cross‐sectional survey study. Methods: Data collection was carried out between February and March 2022 in Brazil. All nursing professionals registered in the national database received by e‐mail the study instrument with the data collection variables: professionals' sociodemographic and comorbid, professional and institutional characteristics, and professionals' health conditions and disease‐related aspects for COVID‐19. Results: Four thousand eight hundred sixty‐two nursing professionals reported a lack of personal protective equipment for patient care, and 4424 were infected by coronavirus disease. The risk factors to become infected were having cardiovascular disease, being under 60 years of age, living in the northern region, using public transportation, working in a hospital, an emergency department or reference institution for COVID‐19, living with an infected person and lack of respirators or waterproof aprons. Conclusion: Multiple risk factors for infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 were demonstrated for the nursing professionals during the pandemic, highlighting current and future pandemics factors that are modifiable in a worthwhile time frame to minimize nurses' infection risks, such as inadequate working conditions associated with lack of essential personal protective equipment. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? The health‐care team is essential in managing COVID‐19, but it has been directly affected by the pandemic. What this paper adds? Multiple risk factors for infection with SARS‐CoV‐2, modifiable or not, were demonstrated for these nursing professionals. The implications of this paper: Strategies to protect the health‐care workers should be implemented during this and any future pandemics, especially providing adequate access to essential personal protective equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, the working class has been losing rights and suffering with the discontinuation of public policies. The current government's actions have been reflected in the increase of extreme poverty and, consequently, in the country's return to the hunger map. The new coronavirus pandemic has aggravated this circumstance. It is in this context that the food donations made by the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (mst) [Landless Rural Workers Movement] and other socio-spatial and socio-territorial movements constitute important solidarity actions aimed at combating hunger. This work seeks to critically analyze and dimension the mst's food donations. To do so, we executed bibliographic research and semi-structured interviews. It also sought and systematized news articles published by the mst, referring to donations made from March 2020 to March 2021. The survey indicates that food donations are a form of resistance and denouncement of the public power's absence and expressing solidarity. These actions reaffirm the need for a land reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Health & Society is the property of Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Periodicojs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Jurídica (0103-3506) is the property of Revista Juridica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Violence against women is a worldwide phenomenon. One in three women of reproductive age has experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by an intimate partner in her lifetime, and more than a third of female homicides are perpetrated by an intimate partner. The official data from the 2019 Atlas of Violence of the Mortality Information System - SIM, of the Ministry of Health, report that in 2017 there were 65,602 homicides in Brazil. The social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic brings to light, in a potent way, some worrying indicators about domestic violence and family violence against women. Organizations dedicated to tackling domestic violence have already seen an increase in domestic violence because of forced co-existence, economic stress and fears about the coronavirus. This study analyzed the magnitude and trend of the increase in murders against women in Brazil and their psychosocial impacts, the data were obtained by the Atlas of Violence 2019. It is a research with a document analysis methodology, as a valid resource for the study with public devices, and the theoretical essay, as an analysis exercise that seeks to reveal new knowledge about a given reality. Finally, it is pointed out that specific actions such as effective public health policies for the prevention of violence, especially women, since this contingent has maintained the high levels of mortality from homicides in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil was one of the countries most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a cumulative total of nearly 700,000 deaths by early 2023. The country's federative units were unevenly affected by the pandemic and adopted mitigation measures of different scopes and intensity. There was intense conflict between the federal government and state governments over the relevance and extent of such measures. We build a simple regression model with good predictive power on state COVID-19 mortality rates in Brazil. Our results reveal that the federative units' urbanization rate and per capita income are important for determining their mean mortality rate and that the number of physicians per 100,000 inhabitants is important for modeling the mortality rate precision. Based on the fitted model, we obtain approximations for the levels of administrative efficiency of local governments in dealing with the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The virtual environment has democratized information and research in the health area, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Purpose: This study analyzed the boosting strategies of social networks and identified the most accessed posts from a previously developed and validated information portal aimed at people with disabilities. Methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory study used Google Analytics® to collect data on origins and access numbers; boost data were obtained from the Facebook® and Instagram® networks themselves, after the end of each boost. Conclusions: Greater interest in publications related to the acquisition of rights for persons with disabilities and about COVID-19 was identified. The virtual environment, especially social networks in Brazil, proved to be a useful tool for disseminating information during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of boosting access to health information. In addition, the investment in social networks was relevant due to the increase in the number of followers on the page. Implications for Practice: Social networks can be a valuable means of disseminating research, improving access to information based on scientific evidence in an inclusive way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze clinical differences between a pediatric population with and without confirmed positive close contact for the new coronavirus, to establish the symptoms that define a population currently served in a children's emergency room for which polymerase chain reaction (PCR) collection for SARS-COV-2 is performed, and thus, make clinical and laboratory screening more reliable and applicable in medical routine. Method: Cross-sectional study that characterized 128 children (0-17 years old) who collected PCR for SARS-COV-2 when seen in an emergency room at a private hospital between March and June 2020. Data were collected from the electronic medical record of the researched hospital. Results: Patients positive for close contact with COVID-19 had more diarrhea (P =.03) and less fever (P =.003) and coughing (P =.03). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups on gender distribution, age, isolation of other etiologic agents, chest x-ray abnormalities, or the need for hospitalization. SARS-Cov-2 PCR showed a higher positivity among patients on the close contact positive group (P <.001). Conclusion: As seen in previous research, positive SARS-CoV-2 tests are not required for the pediatric population to be diagnosed with the new coronavirus. Diarrhea should be included in those related to a high suspicion of potential SARS-CoV-2 infection, prompting nasopharyngeal PCR collection. However, fever and cough are unspecific symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be considered as warning signs for parents and, more importantly, for pediatricians to collect screening examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle (<150 min of physical exercise/week) and associated factors of this behavior in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: An observational study was conducted through an online questionnaire in August–September 2020 (5.5 months after the beginning of the pandemic in the country). Socioeconomic, lifestyle, anthropometric, dietary and perceived stress data were evaluated as possible related factors to a sedentary lifestyle through multiple logistic regression analysis. Findings: A total of 1,347 individuals were evaluated (median of 31 years old, 80.1% women), of whom 76.7% were considered sedentary. Associated factors to a sedentary lifestyle were being overweight; a greater difference between current weight and prepandemic weight; female sex; lower percentage of home-cooked meals; greater increase in the frequency of consumption of alcoholic beverages; higher frequency of consumption of cereals, sausages and sweets during the pandemic; and higher score of perceived stress. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies have aimed to reveal the associated factors to a sedentary lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Protective factors against a sedentary lifestyle were eating breakfast, being a student, living with parents, a higher frequency of fruit consumption, a higher rate of alcohol consumption and a higher cognitive restriction of food intake during the pandemic. Most of the study participants were sedentary, especially women. A sedentary lifestyle was associated with worse lifestyle/eating habits and stress. Such findings encourage an interdisciplinary approach because habits and lifestyle have numerous interferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to assess permanent health education actions regarding the national and state contingency plans to face the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Method: documentary research, using 54 plans in the initial and final versions, published between January 2020 and May 2021. The content analysis included the identification and systematization of proposals aimed at training and reorganizing the work process, as well as physical and mental health care of health workers. Results: the actions were focused on training workers with an emphasis on flu syndrome, infection risk control measures and knowledge about biosafety. Few plans addressed the teams’ working hours and work process, promotion and assistance to the workers’ mental health, mainly in the hospital environment. Conclusion: the superficiality regarding the approach to permanent education actions in contingency plans need to include actions in the strategic agenda of the Ministry of Health and State and Municipal Health Secretariats, with the qualification of workers to face this and other epidemics. They propose the adoption of health protection and promotion measures in daily health work management within the scope of the SUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changed the way people live. As a result, workload and mental health problems increased, especially in healthcare workers. OBJECTIVE: To verify the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) and its association with sociodemographic and work variables in healthcare workers of a Family Health Support Center in the Primary Health Care context (NASF-AB) in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 68 healthcare workers, both sex (55 female/13 male), from the Primary Health Care context in Brazil, particularly NASF-AB of Salvador Bahia. NASF-AB is part of a policy to consolidate Primary Health Care in Brazil. NASF-AB of Salvador has twelve multidisciplinary teams distributed in twelve health districts. The data collection was performed from May to August 2021. The self-reporting questionnaire - 20 (SRQ-20), that assessed the prevalence of CMD, and a sociodemographic questionnaire assessed sociodemographic and work variables via Google forms. RESULTS: The prevalence of CMD was 39.71%. On SRQ-20, 70, 59% of participants felt nervous; 54, 41% felt tired all the time and 51, 47% felt tired easily. CMD was also significantly associated with females (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CMD was high (39, 71%), with females (n = 27/55) being more susceptible to CMD than males (n = 0/13). Feel nervous, tired all the time and easily tired were the most frequent symptoms reported by the participants, indicating depressive/anxious mood, and reduced vital energy. Our findings highlight the need for specific measures to improve health and quality of life of healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparisons among the different vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are important to understand which type of vaccine provides more protection. This study aimed to evaluate the real-life efficacy through symptomatic infection and the humoral response of six different vaccines against SARS-CoV-2—BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1-S, CoronaVac, Ad26.COV2, and Ad5-nCoV. This multicentric observational longitudinal study involved hospitals from Mexico and Brazil in which volunteers who received complete vaccination schemes were followed for 210 days after the last dose. SARS-CoV-2 Spike 1–2 IgG levels were taken before receiving the first vaccine, 21 days after each dose, and the last sample at six months (+/−1 month) after the last dose. A total of 1132 individuals exposed to five COVID-19 waves were included. All vaccines induced humoral responses, and mRNA vaccines had the highest antibody levels during follow-up. At six months, there was a decline in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike 1–2 IgG antibody titers of 69.5% and 36.4% in subjects with negative and positive history of infection respectively. Infection before vaccination and after complete vaccination scheme correlated with higher antibody titers. The predictors of infection were vaccination with CoronaVac compared to BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1-S. In the presence of comorbidities such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or dyslipidemia, CoronaVac lowered the risk of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the psychometric properties of a Brazilian adapted version of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS-BR) in a sample of adults in Brazil. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the CAS-BR produces a reliable (α =.84), unidimensional construct whose structure was shown to be invariant across gender, race, and age. However, some items of the CAS-BR were stronger indicators of the coronavirus anxiety construct for women and younger adults. Although the CAS-BR demonstrated evidence of discrimination ability for functional impairment (AUC =.77), Youden indexes were low to identify a clinical cut-score. Construct validity was demonstrated with correlations between CAS-BR scores and measures of functional impairment, generalized anxiety, and depression. Exploratory analyses revealed that CAS-BR total scores were higher among women and participants with a history of anxiety disorder. These findings are consistent with previous investigations and support the validity of CAS-BR for measuring coronavirus anxiety with Brazilian adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association between burnout and quality of life among nursing staff at intensive care units during the new coronavirus pandemic and identify the influence of sociodemographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 109 nursing staff members at intensive care units of a public hospital in Brazil. Data collection involved the administration of a sociodemographic questionnaire as well as the WHOQOL-Bref and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Results: The participants presented a high state of burnout and a low score in the physical domain of the quality-of-life instrument. Men (p = 0.037), income (p = 0.011) and burnout (p < 0.001) independently influenced quality-of-life (p < 0.01). Age, being a nursing technician and working at two hospitals exerted an influence on burnout status (p < 0.05). A negative association was found between quality of life and burnout (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Our findings showed that burnout due to occupational circumstances affected negatively the quality of life perceptions of nursing staff working at intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To narrate the experience of a group of researchers and managers building information materials from the epidemiological data of cases of covid-19 in Sobral - CE. Methods: This is an experience report study. Contemplates an experience lived from May to August 2020. Results: In a meeting via internet, some members of the research group Research Observatory for SUS with the participation of the health secretary of Sobral, the mayor of Sobral, a professor specializing in artificial intelligence to address the pandemic progress in Sobral and the collaboration of local researchers facing this scenario. The actions agreed upon were: analyze weekly the epidemiological data of the city, develop weekly an epidemiological bulletin with a condensed information created from the data, expose projections of the pandemic curve in the city, make available the social networks of the research group for information, maintain dialogue between professionals and managers to help in decision making. Conclusion: It was possible to establish a weekly flow of dissemination of the local epidemiological bulletin. The experience serves as a basis for decisions from other places that seek alternatives in the management of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates in which circumstances the contamination by the new coronavirus can be considered as an accident at work in Brazil, generating the legal effects resulting from this equation. The deductive method was used, as a method of approach, for the central bibliographic research of the present work combined with the method of qualitative analysis procedure for the study of judgments. The research was subdivided into: the study of the concept of typical work accident provided for in the caput of article 19 of Law n. 8.213/1991 and the hypotheses of labor accident by equivalence provided for in articles 20 and 21 of the same Law, among them, the occupational disease genre and its two species: occupational disease and occupational disease; the decision of the Federal Supreme Court handed down on the occasion of the judgment of Direct Actions of unconstitutionality n. 6342, 6344, 6345, 6346, 6348, 6349 and 6352, which determined the suspension of the effectiveness of article 29 of Provisional Measure 927/2020, which limited the possibility of recognizing covid-19 as an occupational disease, except upon proof of the causal link; Finally, the practical effect of the aforementioned decision was observed, using the dialectical method based on the qualitative study of two judicial processes of great national repercussion, as a result of the research, it was mapped that in only one of the cases covid-19 was equated with the work accident., in this way the understanding of the causal nexus is an essential element for this configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional web-based study investigated the association of age, gender, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress with eating problems in Brazilian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 715 participants (237 men and 478 women) were recruited from all regions of Brazil. The instruments used were the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Eating Attitudes Test -- 26 (EAT-26). Data analysis was conducted through the independent t test, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Multiple regression showed that DASS total score made the largest positive contribution to EP for men (β = .17, p < .01) and women (β = .22, p < .001). The data showed significant differences between men and women for all variables (p < .001), indicating that women presented more symptoms in all variables. Our findings show that symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were associated whit risky behavior for EP in Brazilian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the dynamics of the production, commercialization and consumption of vegetables. Lettuce, potato and tomato, an herbaceous vegetable, a tuberous vegetable and a fruit vegetable, respectively, are among the group of vegetables purchased most frequently. The objective of this study was to evaluate how the pandemic affected the price and supply of lettuce, potato and tomato in 2020 compared to previous years based on data from CEASA-MG from 2016 to 2021. The supply of lettuce was constant in 2020 but lower than the previous year until the month of August, and in December, the price was equal to that of the previous year. The supply of potato was lower throughout 2020 than in previous years. The price of potato was lower in 2020 than the price charged in 2019, until October 2020. The supply of tomato was low throughout 2020. Additionally, with respect to price, there was a decrease from March to July 2020 and a subsequent increase, surpassing the prices of previous years starting in October. In conclusion, both the supply and price of these vegetables were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to analyze the prevalence of tuberculosis, coronavirus, chronic conditions and vulnerabilities among migrants and refugees in Brazil. Method: this is a cross-sectional study of the electronic survey type conducted with international migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics was applied for the analysis, with calculation of position and dispersion measures. Regarding the categorical variables, relative and absolute frequencies were estimated. Results: the study participants were 553 migrants and refugees, verifying 3.07%, 7.2% and 27.3% prevalence of tuberculosis, COVID-19 and chronic conditions, respectively. Among the vulnerabilities, 32% reported unemployment, 37.6% moved to Brazil as a result of the social situation in their countries and 33.6% were living as refugees or sheltered people. Conclusion: tuberculosis, chronic diseases and COVID-19 presented higher prevalence values in migrants and refugees than in the general population. As this is a population group that still has significant difficulty accessing health services and social protection systems, based on diverse evidence, the study will subsidize public policies, Nursing care and the incorporation of new routines in the service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to investigate the prevalence of skin lesions and factors associated with the use of N95 respirators among health professionals in Brazil. Method: a cross-sectional study conducted with 11,368 health professionals using a respondent-driven sampling method adapted for online environments. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the association between the "skin lesions with the use of N95 respirators" variable and gender, professional category, workplace, training, COVID-19 diagnosis, and availability of sufficient and high-quality Personal Protective Equipment. Results: the prevalence of skin lesions was 61.8%. Women were 1.203 times (95% CI: 1.154-1.255) more likely to develop a lesion than men. The chances of skin lesions in psychologists (PR=0.805; 95% CI: 0.678-0.956) and dentists (PR=0.884; 95% CI: 0.788-0.992), were lower when compared to Nursing professionals. Professionals with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and working in the Intensive Care Unit have an increased chance of presenting skin lesions (PR=1.074; 95% CI: 1.042-1.107); (PR=1.203; 95% CI: 1.168-1.241), respectively. Conclusion: the prevalence of skin lesions caused by the use of N95 respirators was 61.8% and was associated with female gender, professional category, workplace, training, COVID-19 diagnosis, and availability of sufficient and high- quality Personal Protective Equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe behaviors with oral hygiene items in single-bathroom households during the domiciliary isolation of individuals with positive 'Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction' (RTPCR+) in southern Brazil. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted with Research and Monitoring Sector of COVID-19 data from Palhoça, Brazil, of individuals aged ≥18 years, living in a singlebathroom household, who had an RT-PCR positive. A link of Google Forms was used. Socio-demographic information, characteristics during the home isolation, oral hygiene, and behaviors with oral hygiene items in the bathroom were collected. Descriptive stratified analyses according to age were conducted (<40 and ≥40 years). Results: Among 524 individuals, 36% were aged ≥40 years. During isolation, according to the behaviors with oral hygiene items in the household single-bathroom, 70% (95%CI 64.9-75.5) of the youngest participants reported sharing toothbrushes in the same container and 30% (95%CI 24.4-35.1) of the oldest; use of the same toothpaste was reported by 67% (95%CI 62.8-71.7) of the youngest and 33% (95%CI 28.3- 37.3) of the oldest participants. For the outcome of sharing the same toothpaste, the chances for the youngest and the oldest to share the same toothbrush container was 11 times and 6 times more, respectively. Conclusion: The individuals related good oral hygiene habits; however, behaviors with oral hygiene items in the bathroom were neglected, especially by the younger individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study determined whether COVID-19 fear is correlated with sociodemographic characteristics, general health, mental health, and sleep quality in an elderly Brazilians. Methods: Elderly people aged ≥ 60 years replied to an online survey containing questions about their sociodemographic characteristics; general health; levels of stress, anxiety, and depression; sleep quality; and COVID fear. Results: Data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics (α = 5%). In total, 705 elderly people with mean age of 66 ± 5 years, and most (82.7%) respondents were women, graduated and from southeastern Brazil. COVID-19 fear correlated positively and moderately with sleep quality and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (all p < 0.001). It was associated with females. Elderly people from northern and northeastern Brazil and diabetics had increased COVID-19 fear (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: The fear of COVID-19 exists among Brazilian female old people, diabetics, increases anxiety and stress symptoms, and worsen sleep quality in elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Occupational Therapy / Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional is the property of Cadernos de Terapia Ocupacional da UFSCar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Occupational Therapy / Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional is the property of Cadernos de Terapia Ocupacional da UFSCar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of RSBO: Revista Sul-Brasileira de Odontologia is the property of UNIVILLE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Minas Gerais Medical Journal / Revista Médica de Minas Gerais is the property of Associacao Medica de Minas Gerais and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Texto & Contexto Enfermagem is the property of Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pos-Graduacao de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Geographic Tongue (GT) is a benign inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, which is characterized by the loss of epithelium due to the atrophy of filiform papillae. It usually occurs on the dorsum of the tongue and may extend to its lateral edges. It appears as an erythematous area surrounded by whitish and slightly elevated margins. In most cases, the condition is asymptomatic, although some individuals may report symptoms that include a burning sensation of the tongue. Objective: Assess whether there was a change in the clinical aspect of Geographic Tongue (GT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Thirty-two participants were recruited from Dentistry School Universidade Federal Fluminense. Anamnesis and oral examination were performed to collect medical history. The participants were split into two groups: control group (no GT) n = 20 and test group (with GT) n = 12. In the second step, nine participants from a 12 (75%) of the test group were contacted by phone and answered a questionnaire about changes in the signs and symptoms of GT during the pandemic. The subjects were subdivided into two groups: GT with and without signs and symptoms exacerbation. Results: In the first phase of the research, no statistical difference between control and test groups was observed regarding clinical criteria such as age (p + 0.72), gender (p = 0.24), and systemic diseases (p = 0.58). In the second phase, there was a statistical difference between GT groups with or without symptom exacerbation in terms of age and stress as a factor of the oral symptoms (p = 0.3 and 0.2), respectively. Younger patients showed a worsening of the oral lesions related to GT (p = 0.3) and reported stress during the pandemic (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Younger patients were more susceptible to stress and presented more exacerbation of the oral lesions related to GT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To verify the influence of work characteristics and the occupational voice use on the self-perception of vocal fatigue symptoms in individuals working in the home office during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional, observational, and descriptive study. The sample consisted of 206 individuals (123 women and 83 men), with an average age of 34 years, working exclusively in a home office mode due to the pandemic. Through an online form, all participants responded to the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) protocol and the questionnaire on the characterization of work and the occupational voice use during the pandemic, developed by the authors of this study. Multiple linear regression using the backward elimination technique was performed. The variables the interlocutor does "not listen to me in home office work," "noise in the home office work environment," "the daily workload in home office," "vocal quality worsened in home office work," "increased vocal loudness in home office work" and "lack of training about voice use in home office work" are predictors of the dependent variable vocal fatigue symptoms. The characteristics of work and occupational voice use influence the self-perception of vocal fatigue symptoms in individuals working in the home office mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the association of autonomic dysfunction symptoms with stress in Brazilian university professors of the Speech Language–Pathology course during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fifty-five Brazilian university professors participated in the study, with a mean age of 42 years and 10 months old (±8.75), 49 female and six male subjects. The evaluated outcomes were the symptoms of stress and self-assessment of autonomic dysfunction symptoms. The results were inferentially analyzed using binary logistic regression and chi-squared tests (p <.05). In 54.54% of the university professors presented stress, with a predominance of psychological symptoms and a higher frequency resistance phase. Stress was a risk factor for the high occurrence of autonomic dysfunction symptoms related (OR 5.841) and unrelated (OR 29.750) to voice. There was an association between the predominance of psychological symptoms and the higher occurrence of autonomic dysfunction symptoms related to voice (p <.001). There was an association between autonomic dysfunction symptoms and stress in Brazilian university professors during the Covid-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Badminton is a racket sport, with fast and explosive movements and mental skills employed to anticipate the opponent's movements. The COVID-19 pandemic, led to social restriction in Brazil and sport event cancellations, subsequently, sports training was banned. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the impact of long-period detraining due to COVID-19 social restriction (8 months and 1-year) on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, nutritional behavior, and profile of mood states in badminton athletes and to verify if the athletes who returned to their regular training 4 months earlier than athletes who stopped their daily training routine during 1-year would improve these variables. Methods: Twenty-three young badminton athletes were analyzed: retrained group (14 athletes who stopped their daily training routine for 8 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic plus 4 months of retraining), and detrained group (9 athletes who stopped their daily training routine during 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic but performed home-based training). We evaluated body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, nutritional behavior, and mood states profiles. Results: Retrained athletes showed lower body fat (− 24.1% vs. + 20.8%, p < 0.001) and higher fat-free mass (+ 6.0% vs. − 0.2%, p = 0.007) after 1 year compared with the detrained group. For cardiorespiratory fitness [retrained: baseline = 55.5 ± 5.3 (47.1, 63.9) and after 1 year = 58.1 ± 2.4 (54.2, 61.9), ES = 0.65 vs. detrained: baseline = 53.4 ± 6.7 (47.2, 59.5) and after 1 year = 53.1 ± 5.6 (48.0, 58.3), ES = − 0.03] and nutritional behavior, including sauces and spices [retrained: baseline = 8.9 ± 7.0 (4.5, 13.4), and after 1 year = 3.4 ± 2.9 (1.8, 5.5), ES = − 1.11 vs. detrained: baseline = 6.8 ± 6.7 (1.6, 11.9) and after 1 year = 6.3 ± 5.5 (2.1, 10.6), ES = − 0.08], the ESs were medium and large, respectively, for Retrained but trivial for detrained group. For depression, ES was trivial in the retrained [baseline = 2.7 ± 3.3 (0.7, 4.7) and after 1 year = 2.6 ± 2.9 (0.8, 4.4), ES = 0.03] and moderate for detrained [baseline = 1.0 ± 1.5 (− 0.1, 2.1) and after 1 year = 1.8 ± 2.7 (− 0.3, 3.8), ES = 0.50]. Conclusions: Young badminton athletes who returned to their regular daily training 4 months earlier than athletes who stopped their daily training routine during 1-year due to COVID-19 social restriction decreased fat mass and increased fat-free mass. There were no significant differences between groups for cardiorespiratory fitness, nutritional behavior, and profile of mood state response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil has become the epicenter of coronavirus disease, and the São Paulo State has the worst scenario. This study evaluated the effect of the COVID-19 in dentists of São Paulo State, Brazil. A self-administered web-based survey with 33 multiple-choice questions was sent to dentists. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the 302 valid responses. Data were analyzed by Chi-square, McNemar and Wilcoxon tests (α = 0.05). Most of the participants aged until 34 years (61.6%) and were female (74.5%). They reduced work to less than 20 h per week. Monthly remuneration was reduced (86.8%). Personal protective equipment at the office was changed (p < 0.05). A few dentists (7.6%) had COVID-19, and more than 99% were aware of the disease. Most of the participants (90.2%) were insecure about being contaminated. The dentists of São Paulo State had coronavirus knowledge and have adopted strict biosafety protocols, but the pandemic affected their financial and psychological features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on startups performance and the moderating effects played by several resilience-related startup characteristics during times of crisis. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this, 94 Brazil-based startups were surveyed, and multivariate data techniques (PLS-SEM) were applied. Findings: The results show that despite the startups performance having been affected by the pandemic crisis, the response measures, when influenced by the resilience characteristics of these companies, moderated this effect. Furthermore, our findings suggest the future challenges to be faced by these organisations in the post-pandemic period. Research limitations/implications: Proposing a framework, our survey research contributes to the dynamic capabilities theory by showing that startups resilience is linked to the micro-foundations of sensing (e.g. innovation systems, resilience culture, pivoting practices, innovativeness products), seizing (e.g. leadership/focused skills, people development and selection, agility, clear vision of business process) and reconfiguring capabilities. Practical implications: Not only for theory, but this paper also contributes insights and guidelines for business practice in the face of challenges arising from times of crisis. By demonstrating the positive effect of early response measures based on resilience, our findings provide genuine managerial input that can help managers, funders and decision-makers in these companies operations against turbulent crises early on, thereby supporting the traction phase and sustaining their performance. Originality/value: Previous research has examined the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in several sectors and perspectives. However, this study is the first to empirically test and clarify how the resilience and singularities of these new business models based on innovation could react to the changes caused by the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic has adversely impacted child development and the well‐being of caregivers, and such evidence ought to be used to inform public policy decisions. This study investigated the impact of COVID‐19 on children's behaviours and their caregivers' needs. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted with 153 caregivers of children (from 0 to 5 years old) from three public daycare centres in Brazil. The Nurturing Care Framework of the World Health Organization was used to guide the assessment of caregivers' needs. Online data collection using a questionnaire was conducted from June to July 2020. Results: The COVID‐19 pandemic increased stressors such as low family income, unemployment, sadness, depression and anxiety of caregivers. Their most commonly reported needs were related to offering age‐appropriate playful activities (49.7%), organizing the care routine of children at home (41.8%) and educating children when they do something wrong (39.9%). Additionally, the results showed that misbehaviour, aggressiveness and agitation occurred more frequently among preschoolers than infants or toddlers (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: During the COVID‐19 pandemic, public policies should provide mental health support to caregivers, as well as information about security, safety and early learning opportunities for childcare at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, the COVID‐19 pandemic remained uncontrolled in Brazil, with more than 17.6 million cases diagnosed and more than a half a million deaths in total. It is known that an accurate risk perception by populations and a consequent adherence to preventive measures can increase the effectiveness of policies to contain the transmission of infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to draw a panorama of COVID‐19 in São Paulo State and investigate the population's risk perception about the new coronavirus, attitudes regarding preventive measures and vaccine confidence through an open web survey. A total of 1111 individuals participated (71.6% females). Of those, 15% declared themselves unemployed, almost 6% lost their jobs during the pandemic, and more than 30% suffered a decrease in their monthly income. As for the COVID‐19, almost 32% of the participants were tested sometime in 2020, and 11.3% reported a confirmed diagnosis for a level of hospitalisation of 5%. As for the risk perception, it was observed that situations with crowds of people were more frequently considered as of high risk and cause of greater concern with contamination of family members than with themselves. Almost 23% of the participants questioned whether they would take the vaccine when available and do not know if the COVID‐19 vaccine will be safe for the population. Almost 70% disagreed with the statement that the actions of the country's health authorities are effective in combating COVID‐19. Considering the Cramer's V coefficient, these variables were not associated with gender or educational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]