ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Healthcare professionals are among the main risk groups for COVID-19 and can also be a source of transmission to patients to whom they provide care. The identification of symptoms is important in the clinical presumption of COVID-19. However, the infection may be asymptomatic or paucysymptomatic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study, with retrospective analysis of the clinical records of health professionals who went by self-initiative to the Occupational Health Service of a University Hospital Center, between March and August 2020, for presenting symptoms, risk contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or by both and, who in this context, performed the RT PCR SARS-CoV-2 test. RESULTS: 613 professionals were evaluated. Of the 420 symptomatic professionals, in 27 COVID-19 was confirmed, while only 3 of the 193 asymptomatic professionals being positive (95% CI, p = 0,009). In turn, of the 371 who had respiratory symptoms, 19 were positive for COVID-19, versus 11 among the 242 who had no respiratory symptoms, not being difference statistically significant (95% CI;p = 0,75). Nasal congestion and rhinorrhea were the respiratory symptoms with the highest proportion of positive cases (11,43% and 8,97%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although COVID-19 is typically associated with respiratory symptoms, not all these symptoms were predictive of disease. It becomes crucial to value mild symptoms among healthcare professionals, even in the absence of risk contact.
ABSTRACT
In Tourism, artificial intelligence already has numerous applications, facilitating processes, adding value to experiences, and improving competitiveness. However, its use raises several questions for companies and tourist destinations. As this research subject in tourism is still limited, the present study, based on nine semi-structured interviews, aims to identify and analyze the perceptions of tourist agents (companies and destinations) about the advantages and/or disadvantages, challenges, implications of use, and also of non-use, of artificial intelligence in the current situation of COVID-19 and in the future. The results underline the unanimous perception of the importance of using technology that does not replace the human component but adds value to it. The implications and suggestions for future work will also be presented. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.