Resumption of brazilian oral medicine health care during the second period of the COVID-19 pandemic

Aim: This present study aims to compare the data from the Brazilian Unified Health System on the number of clinical consultations of Oral Medicine from the first 6 months (March-August 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil with the last 6 months (September-February 2020/2021) to update the data, verify the measures' effectiveness to return clinical activities in the following months. Methods: perform a literature review of recent articles that report the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Oral Medicine. Results: There was an increase in the number of Oral Medicine clinical consultations in the second half of the pandemic throughout Brazil (+64.2%), representing over 9,235 appointments in this period. Conclusion: measures for the return of health assistance and the practice of Telemedicine proved to be effective after the second period of the pandemic. Even so, strengthening security measures against the coronavirus is essential to ward off a new wave since the Omicron variant emerged in the country and, consequently, possible new lockdowns that might affect healthcare in Brazil

Revaluation of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the epidemiology of syphilis in Brazil

Introduction: Due to the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic, health systems worldwide have suffered interferences, with the interruption of sexual health clinics, limitation of ambulatory consults, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of several diseases, especially syphilis, altering their epidemiology.Objective: To investigate the impact of the pandemic on syphilis diagnosis in Brazil, the main goal of this study was to update and reevaluate data from the Brazilian Unified Health System on the number of syphilis cases reported in all five Brazilian geographic regions and verify the response of the Brazilian health care to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The data were retrieved from the National Disease Notification System and the Department of Chronic Conditions Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections and represent syphilis diagnosis in Brazil, from March to December 2017 to 2019, 2020, and 2021. Results: The increase in the number of syphilis cases was minor compared to 2020, keeping the Southeast region as the most impacted (+146.1%) and an increase of 22,633 cases throughout Brazil (+54.3%). Conclusion:Syphilis disease control measures were ineffective in 2021 as the drop in the number of cases was irrelevant compared to the years before the pandemic. The association between the increase in syphilis cases in Brazil and the COVID-19 pandemic should be further investigated to assist in decision-making processes and in the programming of health actions in addition to finding measures to raise the control of this disease.

Introdução: Em consequência da pandemia de COVID-19, os sistemas de saúde em todo o mundo sofreram interferências, com interrupção de clínicas de saúde sexual, limitação de consultas ambulatoriais, de prevenção, diagnóstico e tratamento de diversas doenças, principalmente a sífilis, alterando sua epidemiologia. Objetivo: Para investigar o impacto da pandemia no diagnóstico da sífilis no Brasil, o objetivo principal do presente estudo foi atualizar e reavaliar os dados do Sistema Único de Saúde sobre o número de casos de sífilis notificados nas cinco regiões geográficas brasileiras e verificar a resposta da atenção básica à saúde brasileira diante da pandemia de COVID-19. Métodos: Os dados foram retirados do Sistema Nacional de Notificação de Agravos e do Departamento de Doenças Crônicas e Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis e representam o diagnóstico de sífilis no Brasil, de março a dezembro de 2017 a 2019, 2020 e 2021. Resultados: O aumento no número de casos de sífilis foi menor em relação a 2020, mantendo-se a Região Sudeste como a mais impactada (+146,1%) e havendo aumento de 22.633 casos em todo o Brasil (+54,3%). Conclusão: As medidas de controle da sífilis foram ineficazes em 2021, pois a queda no número de casos foi irrelevante em comparação aos anos anteriores à pandemia. A associação entre o aumento dos casos de sífilis no Brasil e a pandemia de COVID-19 deve ser mais bem investigada para auxiliar nos processos de tomada de decisão e na programação das ações de saúde, além de se encontrarem medidas para elevar o controle desta doença.

The continuous increase in the number of systemic lupus erythematosus cases in Brazil in the COVID-19 era

Abstract This study aims to reevaluate and compare the data from the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) on the number of diagnoses of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the pre-pandemic period with those in the pandemic period, as well as to compare the first year (2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil with the last year (2021), to update the data, and to verify whether SLE disease control measures were effective in 2021. There was a consistent and significant increase in the incidence of SLE cases all over Brazil between the first and second pandemic years and between the pre-pandemic triennium and the second pandemic year. Therefore, it is inescapable to have larger clinical studies with different populations to better understand the relationship between these two conditions and find measures to improve the control of this disease.

Midias sociais para atração de pacientes em clínicas odontológicas privadas durante pandemia de Covid 19 / Social media for attracting patients in private dental clinics during the Covid 19 pandemic

Verificar a rotina dos cirurgiões-dentistas (CD) e a utilização das mídias sociais, como meio de divulgação profissional e de atração de pacientes em clínicas odontológicas privadas, durante a pandemia de Covid-19. Este estudo transversal qualitativo inclui questionários respondidos por CD atuantes em clínicas privadas na região sudeste do Brasil. Um questionário virtual, elaborado através da plataforma Google Forms, abordou informações sobre o perfil dos profissionais e os aspectos dos métodos publicitários e mídias sociais utilizados para o alcance de pacientes durante o período de pandemia de Covid-19. Os dados obtidos foram tabulados e submetidos à análise estatística descritiva (%). No total, 102 CD participaram do estudo, sendo que 96 questionários seguiram os critérios de inclusão para a análise dos dados. A divulgação social como meio de exposição profissional foi uma ação realizada por 75 (78,13%) CD da amostra. Considerando esses profissionais, 74 (98,67%) utilizam redes sociais e domínios virtuais para tal finalidade, sendo que 71 (95,95%) CD usufruem do Instagram. Grande parte dos participantes (71,62%) relatou não possuir assessoria de marketing especializada para fazer publicações de conteúdo profissional nas redes sociais, embora a maioria publique este tipo de conteúdo mais de uma vez por semana (58,11%). Uma grande parcela dos participantes do estudo (67,71%) notou que a pandemia de Covid-19 procovou diminuição na quantidade de pacientes nas clínicas odontológicas. A inclusão de outros equipamentos de proteção individual foi a conduta mais seguida pelos CD (56,25%) para evitar a transmissão da doença neste período. Conclui-se que os CD participantes acreditam que a pandemia de Covid-19 promoveu um impacto negativo na atração de pacientes em clínicas odontológicas privadas na região sudeste brasileira, ainda que a maioria destes profissionais tenham incluído outros equipamentos de proteção individual como medida de segurança e utilizem frequentemente redes sociais para divulgação de conteúdo profissional, tendo o Instagram como a principal mídia social. No entanto, a assessoria de marketing especializada em publicações de conteúdo profissional nas redes sociais ainda é um recurso pouco utilizado no meio odontológico(AU)

To verify the routine of Dental Surgeons (DS) and the use of social media as a means of professional dissemination and patient attraction in private dental clinics during the Covid-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional qualitative study included questionnaires answered by Dental Surgeons working in private clinics in the southeastern region of Brazil. A virtual questionnaire, which was developed through the Google Forms platform, addressed information about the profile of professionals and aspects of advertising methods and social media used to reach patients during the Covid-19 pandemic period. The data were tabulated and submitted to descriptive statistical analysis (%). A total of 102 Dental Surgeons participated in the study, with 96 questionnaires meeting the inclusion criteria for data analysis. Social disclosure as a means of professional exposure was an action performed by 75 (78.13%) Dental Surgeons of the survey. Considering these professionals, 74 (98.67%) use social networks and virtual domains for this purpose and 71 (95.95%) Dental Surgeons use Instagram. A large portion of the participants (71.62%) reported not having a specialized marketing consultancy to make professional contente publications on social media, although most publish this type of content more than once a week (58.11%). A large portion of study participants (67.71%) noted that the Covid-19 pandemic caused a decrease in the amount of patients in the dental clinics. The inclusion of other personal protective equipment was the conduct most followed by the Dental Surgeons (56.25%) to avoid the transmission of the disease in this period. It can be concluded that the participating Dental Surgeons believe that the Covid-19 pandemic promoted a negative impact on attracting patients in private dental clinics in the southeastern region of Brazil, in spite of most of these professionals have included other personal protective equipment as safety measure and frequently use social networks for dissemination of professional content, with Instagram as main social media. However, a marketing consultancy specialized in publishing professional content on social networks is still a resource which is little used in the dental environment(AU)

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 on the diagnoses of Hansen's disease in Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has limited the access of patients with Hansen's disease (HD) to care due to changes in routine health services. METHODS: To ascertain this, we compared the number of HD cases diagnosed before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The decrease in HD cases in Brazil reached 18,223 (-48.4%), corresponding to an average reduction of 1,518 cases per month during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Therefore, effective measures should be implemented to minimize the damage and the consequent negative health impact of COVID-19 on the care of HD patients.