A nationwide Guillain-Barre syndrome epidemiological study in Spain during the COVID-19 years (preprint)

OBJECTIVE: To perform a nationwide epidemiological study of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in Spain, analysing background incidences and seasonal variation and trying to identify incidence changes during the COVID-19 years. METHODS: Observational study collecting all GBS diagnoses from National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE) collected by the Ministry of Health. Patients discharged with GBS as main diagnosis and admitted during 2018-2021 were included. Data on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccinations were obtained from the National Epidemiology Centre. RESULTS: In total, 3147 cases were included, 832 in 2018, 861 in 2019, 670 in 2020 and 784 in 2021. Nationwide hospital incidence was 1.78 in 2018, 1.71 in 2019, 1.41 in 2020 and 1.66 in 2021, with an increased frequency in males, elderly population, and in the winter season. Eleven percent of GBS patients needed ventilatory support. GBS and SARS-CoV-2 incidences did not correlate with one another (r=-0.29, p=0.36). GBS incidence decreased during 2020 and during COVID-19 lockdown period in comparison to the same months of 2018-2019. No relationship was found between vaccines and GBS cases during vaccination roll-out in 2021. INTERPRETATION: Incidence of GBS in Spain is similar to that of other countries. Despite prior reports describing a significant increase in COVID-19-associated GBS in Spain, we detected a significant drop of GBS incidence during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, probably due to prevention measures. No relationship was found between SARS-CoV-2 or vaccinations and GBS incidences at the population level but data on relationship of vaccinations and GBS at the individual level were not available.

Newcastle Disease Virus Vector-Based SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Candidate AVX/COVID-12 Activates T Cells and Is Recognized by Antibodies from COVID-19 Patients and Vaccinated (preprint)

Several effective vaccines for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed and implemented in the population. However, the current production capacity falls short of meeting global demand. Therefore, it is crucial to further develop novel vaccine platforms that can bridge the distribution gap. AVX/COVID-12 is a vector-based vaccine that utilizes the Newcastle Disease virus (NDV) to present the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the immune system. This study analyses the antigenicity of the vaccine candidate by examining antibody binding and T-cell activation in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 or variants of concern (VOCs), as well as in healthy volunteers who received coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations. Our findings indicate that the vaccine effectively binds antibodies and activates T-cells in individuals who received 2 or 3 doses of BNT162b2 or AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccines. Furthermore, the stimulation of T-cells from patients and vaccine recipients with AVX/COVID-12 resulted in their proliferation and secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-{gamma}) in both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. In conclusion, the AVX/COVID-12 vectored vaccine candidate demonstrates the ability to stimulate robust cellular responses and is recognized by antibodies primed by the spike protein present in SARS-CoV-2 viruses that infected patients, as well as in the mRNA BNT162b2 and AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccines. These results support the inclusion of the AVX/COVID-12 vaccine as a booster in vaccination programs aimed at addressing COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 and its VOCs.

Phase II/III Double-Blind Study Evaluating Safety and Immunogenicity of a Single Intramuscular Booster Dose of the Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine "Patria" (AVX/COVID-12) Using an Active Newcastle Disease Viral Vector (NDV) during the Omicron Outbreak in Healthy Adults with Elevated Baseline Antibody Titers from Prior COVID-19 and/or SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination (preprint)

Background: The urgent need for safe, effective, and economical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, especially for booster campaigns targeting vulnerable populations, prompted the development of the AVX/COVID-12 vaccine candidate. AVX/COVD-12 is based in a Newcastle disease virus La Sota (NDV-LaSota) recombinant viral vector. This vaccine expresses a stabilized version of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), specifically the ancestral Wuhan strain. The study aimed to assess its safety, immunogenicity, and potential efficacy as an anti-COVID-19 booster vaccine. Methods: In a phase II/III clinical trial conducted from November 9, 2022, to September 11, 2023, a total of 4,056 volunteers were enrolled. Participants received an intramuscular booster dose of either AVX/COVID-12 or AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccines. Safety, immunogenicity, and potential efficacy were assessed through various measures, including neutralizing antibody titers, interferon (IFN)-γ-producing CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells. The evaluation also involved immunobridging, utilizing the AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccine as an active comparator, and monitoring the incidence of COVID-19 cases. Findings: The AVX/COVID-12 vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies against both the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and the BA.2 and BA.5 Omicron variants. The geometric mean ratio of neutralizing antibody titers between individuals immunized with the AVX/COVID-12 vaccine and those with the AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccine at 14 days is 0.96, with a confidence interval (CI) of 0.85-1.06. The outcome aligns with the non-inferiority criterion recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating a lower limit of the CI greater than or equal to 0.67. Induction of IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells at day 14 post-immunization was exclusively observed in the AVX/COVID-12 group. Finally, a trend suggested a potentially lower incidence of COVID-19 cases in AVX/COVID-12 boosted volunteers compared to AZ/ChAdOx-1-S recipients. Conclusion: The AVX/COVID-12 vaccine proved safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic. AVX/COVID-12 meets the WHO non-inferiority standard compared to AZ/ChAdOx-1-S. These results strongly advocate for AVX/COVID-12 as a viable booster dose, supporting its utilization in the population.

A Phase II Study Integrating a Single-Blind Safety Phase with a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Randomized Phase, Assessing Single-Dose Intramuscular or Intranasal Administration to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of the Recombinant Vaccine Against COVID-19 (AVX/COVID-12 "Patria") Based on an Active Newcastle Disease Viral Vector as a Heterologous Booster in Subjects with Evidence of Previous Immunity to SARS-CoV-2. (preprint)

BackgroundThe global inequity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine distribution, primarily affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), highlights the urgent need for innovative and cost-effective vaccine technologies to address availability disparities. This is crucial for achieving and sustaining widespread immunity and protecting vulnerable populations during future booster campaigns. MethodsTo address this need, we conducted a phase II clinical trial evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of the AVX/COVID-12 "Patria" vaccine as a booster dose. The vaccine was administered through both intramuscular (IM) and intranasal (IN) routes to participants who had previously received severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines based on adenoviral technology, inactivated virus, or mRNA technology. The inclusion criterion involved individuals with initial anti-spike IgG titers below 1,200 U/mL, allowing observation of the booster effect induced by vaccination. ResultsImmunization with AVX/COVID-12 resulted in a significant (>2.5 times) increase in neutralizing antibodies against the original Wuhan strain and variants of concern (VOCs) such as Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron (BA.2 and BA.5). This immune response was accompanied by cellular interferon-gamma (IFN-{gamma}) production, indicating a robust and multifaceted reaction. ConclusionsThe administration of AVX/COVID-12 as a booster dose, whether through IM or IN routes, was safe and well-tolerated. The vaccine extended immune responses not only against the original Wuhan-1 strain but also against various VOCs. Its ability to enhance preexisting immune responses suggests a potential contribution to expanding and sustaining herd immunity within the population.

How did CariesCare International performed under pandemic conditions in children: 1-year multicenter single-group interventional study (preprint)

Background:In 2020, CariesCare International (CCI) -derived from ICCMS- was plannedto be tested for caries-control effectiveness in children by means of a multicenter randomized clinical trial (RCT). Nevertheless, due to the pandemic, RCTs proved unfeasible and aerosol-generating procedures (AGP) were associated with a spread of COVID-19. Consequently, the study design required to be modified to a single-interventional study and CCI had to be adapted excluding AGP and reducing on-site consultation (CCI-adapted). Objective: This 12-month multicenter single-group interventional study aimed at assessing the effect of a pandemic CCI-adapted protocol on caries control in children. Methods: Twenty-one Latin American and European centers with n³20 3-8-year-old children per center were invited to participate; 17 obtained IRB and signed written informed consents. Trained examiners assessed at baseline (T0) and 1-year follow-up (T1y) (blind to the intervention): CCI-caries risk, oral-health-related practices; dmf/DMFS with ICDAS-merged-Epi visual caries severity and activity criteria; dental sepsis and toothache. Individual- and tooth-surface-level personalized care plan was then performed by dental practitioners previously trained in CCI-adapted. After 5 months, parents’ and dentists’ dental-care-process acceptance (Treatment Evaluation Inventory) was assessed. The one-year caries-control effect of CCI-adapted was assessed in terms of tooth-surface and individual-level caries-progression control; oral-health behavior improvement, and caries-care system acceptability. Results: Sixteen centers finished the study (94.1%; Latin America: n=13; Europe: n=3), with 337 children (78.6%;mean age of 5.5±1.6 years). There was a T0 to T1y significant decrease (p<0.05) in the mean number of tooth surfaces with caries lesions (7.7±9.1 to 2.8±4.6), with active caries lesions (6.8±8.8 to 0.8±2.2), and a tooth-surface caries-progression control of 99.3%. In the majority of children there was a significant (p<0.05) control of: caries progression (79.5%), high-caries risk (86.6%), and non-adequate oral-health behavior (72.7%). There was a very high (parents) and a high-very high (dentists) acceptability of CCI. Conclusion: Given the challenge of the pandemic, this single-group interventional CCI-adapted study showed one-year control of caries progression, caries risk, and high parents’ and dentists’ CCI acceptance. Trial registration:Retrospectively‐registered‐ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04666597 07/12/2020 (Protocol version 2): https://register.clinicaltrials. gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S000AGM4&selectaction=Edit&uid=U00019IE&ts=2&cx=uwje3h

Analysis of Losses in Physiotherapy Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Approach (preprint)

Background During the COVID 19 Pandemic situation, young people experienced numerous personal losses in many aspects, which impacted their quality of life.Objective To explore and analyse the losses in physiotherapy students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods A qualitative phenomenological study was carried out using an open format exercise carried out during the Clinical Specialties class from February-May 2021. Thirty-four (83% female) third-year physical therapy students participated. ATLAS.ti software was used for the analysis and coding of the data by three researchers.Results After the analysis of the categories, different losses by the participants were found: losses in psychological well-being, losses in physical health, losses in the social sphere (friendships, partners and family relationships, as well as deaths) and spiritual losses (loss of freedom and identity), losses in leisure time (travel, recreational activities and physical exercise) and different losses related to university studies (motivation and enthusiasm and clinical practices).Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has generated losses worldwide in physiotherapy students, with losses in the social sphere being the most expressed. The present study can be used to generate resources that improve the well-being of physiotherapy students, both for optimal academic performance and greater self-care, and reduce psychosocial problems.

survInTime - Exploring surveillance methods and data analysis on Brazilian respiratory syndrome dataset and community mobility changes (preprint)

Background: The covid-19 pandemic brought negative impacts in almost every country in the world. These impacts were observed mainly in the public health sphere, with a rapid raise and spread of the disease and failed attempts to restrain it while there was no treatment. However, in developing countries, the impacts were severe in other aspects such as the intensification of social inequality, poverty and food insecurity. Specifically in Brazil, the miscommunication among the government layers conducted the control measures to a complete chaos in a country of continental dimensions. Brazil made an effort to register granular informative data about the case reports and their outcomes, while this data is available and can be consumed freely, there are issues concerning the integrity and inconsistencies between the real number of cases and the number of notifications in this dataset. Results: We projected and implemented four types of analysis to explore the Brazilian public dataset of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (srag dataset) notifications and the google dataset of community mobility change (mobility dataset). These analysis provides some diagnosis of data integration issues and strategies to integrate data and experimentation of surveillance analysis. The first type of analysis aims at describing and exploring the data contained in both datasets, starting by assessing the data quality concerning missing data, then summarizing the patterns found in this datasets. The Second type concerns an statistical experiment to estimate the cases from mobility patterns organized in periods of time. We also developed, as the third analysis type, an algorithm to help the understanding of the disease waves by detecting them and compare the time periods across the cities. Lastly, we build time series datasets considering deaths, overall cases and residential mobility change in regular time periods and used as features to group cities with similar behavior. Conclusion: The exploratory data analysis showed the under representation of covid-19 cases in many small cities in Brazil that were absent in the srag dataset or with a number of cases very low than real projections. We also assessed the availability of data for the Brazilian cities in the mobility dataset in each state, finding out that not all the states were represented and the best coverage occurred in Rio de Janeiro state. We compared the capacity of place categories mobility change combination on estimating the number of cases measuring the errors and identifying the best components in mobility that could affect the cases. In order to target specific strategies for groups of cities, we compared strategies to cluster cities that obtained similar outcomes behavior along the time, highlighting the divergence on handling the disease. Availability: https://github.com/YasCoMa/dashboard-srag-mobility

Genome-wide Association Study of Long COVID (preprint)

Infections can lead to persistent or long-term symptoms and diseases such as shingles after varicella zoster, cancers after human papillomavirus, or rheumatic fever after streptococcal infections(1,2). Similarly, infection by SARS-CoV-2 can result in Long COVID, a condition characterized by symptoms of fatigue and pulmonary and cognitive dysfunction(3-5). The biological mechanisms that contribute to the development of Long COVID remain to be clarified. We leveraged the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative(6,7) to perform a genome-wide association study for Long COVID including up to 6,450 Long COVID cases and 1,093,995 population controls from 24 studies across 16 countries. We identified the first genome-wide significant association for Long COVID at the FOXP4 locus. FOXP4 has been previously associated with COVID-19 severity(6), lung function(8), and cancers(9), suggesting a broader role for lung function in the pathophysiology of Long COVID. While we identify COVID-19 severity as a causal risk factor for Long COVID, the impact of the genetic risk factor located in the FOXP4 locus could not be solely explained by its association to severe COVID-19. Our findings further support the role of pulmonary dysfunction and COVID-19 severity in the development of Long COVID.

The impact of non-lineage defining mutations inthe structural stability for variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 (preprint)

Motivation: The identification of the most important mutations, that lead to a structural and functional change in a highly transmissible virus variants, is essential to understand the impacts and the possible chances of vaccine and antibody escape. Strategies to rapidly associate mutations to functional and conformational properties are needed to rapidly analyze mutations in proteins and their impacts in antibodies and human binding proteins. Results: Comparative analysis showed the main structural characteristics of the essential mutations found for each variant of concern in relation to the reference proteins. The paper presented a series of methodologies to track and associate conformational changes and the impacts promoted by the mutations

Financial information disclosure in times of uncertainty: an exploratory study of the effects of COVID-19 on Colombian companies

This paper assesses the extension and timeliness of disclosures of COVID-19 impacts on the financial condition and performance of Colombian companies. A disclosure index was designed based on the Technical Council of Public Accounting guidelines. An exploratory exercise and content analysis were conducted on the notes to the financial statements for the years 2019 and 2020 of twelve companies listed on the Colombian Stock Exchange, which are representative of the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the economy. Although it was identified that the information disclosed has increased with time, the findings show limitations in the extension and timeliness of the information disclosed. It is concluded that the companies studied only disclose the effect of the uncertainty situation when the risk is likely to materialize and not when it is potential, thus reducing the relevance of the information included in the financial statements and affecting the stakeholder decision-making process.

Esofagitis Infecciosa En Inmunocompetentes: Serie De Casos En Un Hospital De Tercer Nivel

Introduccion: La prevalencia de esofagitis infecciosa en individuos inmunocompetentes es inusual. El principal agente etiologico es el VHS 1, afectando en la mayoria de los casos a menores de 40 anos con odinofagia intensa y disfagia como sintomas principales. Se desconoce si la infeccion por SARS-CoV-2 o la administracion de su vacuna son factores predisponentes. Objetivos: Determinar las principales caracteristicas clinicas, diagnosticas, endoscopicas y la respuesta al tratamiento de pacientes diagnosticados de esofagitis virica desde el inicio de la pandemia. Metodos: Se incluye una serie de casos de pacientes inmunocompetentes con esofagitis virica en el Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Leon desde marzo 2020 hasta enero 2022. Resultados: Un total de cinco pacientes fueron diagnosticados de esofagitis virica. Los datos personales, clinicos, diagnosticos y terapeuticos de todos los casos se recogen en la tabla. Conclusiones: La esofagitis virica en pacientes inmunocompetentes es infrecuente, lo que conlleva su infradiagnostico. Se deben sospechar ante un cuadro agudo de odinofagia intensa. En nuestra serie el diagnostico histologico fue compatible solo en el 40%. Al tratarse de una infeccion autolimitada en individuos inmunocompetentes, existen discrepancias entre administrar aciclovir o unicamente tratar los sintomas. La infeccion por SARS-CoV-2 o la administracion de sus vacunas podrian actuar como factores predisponentes, aunque se necesitan mas estudios para establecer dicha relacion. [Table presented]Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. Todos los derechos reservados.

A rapid literature review on ensemble algorithms for COVID-19 classification using image-based exams

The world recently has faced the COVID-19 pandemic, a disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome. The main features of this disease are the rapid spread and high-level mortality. The illness led to the rapid development of a vaccine that we know can fight against the virus;however, we do not know the actual vaccine's effectiveness. Thus, the early detection of the disease is still necessary to provide a suitable course of action. To help with early detection, intelligent methods such as machine learning and computational intelligence associated with computer vision algorithms can be used in a fast and efficient classification process, especially using ensemble methods that present similar efficiency to traditional machine learning algorithms in the worst-case scenario. In this context, this review aims to answer four questions: (i) the most used ensemble technique, (ii) the accuracy those methods reached, (iii) the classes involved in the classification task, (iv) the main machine learning algorithms and models, and (v) the dataset used in the experiments. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Hybrid Intelligent Systems is the property of IOS Press 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 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 . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Comprensión, confianza y ética en las entrevistas con personas migrantes

Qualitative social research on the lives of migrants in Chile involves investigating the social suffering that arises from the "migratory condition" that is produced. The progressive recrudescence of migration policies both at national and international level since the end of the 20th century has further deepened the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic, generating a complex scenario for research in this area for two reasons: the online modality assumed by the interviewing exercise, and the increase of frictions in the relationship between Chileans and migrants. In this text we ask ourselves how to investigate someone who suffers, for which we stop, on the one hand, in the interview as an exercise that should be vigilant of the structural conditions in which it occurs and that can produce symbolic violence, while it should tend to the understanding of the social from the singularity of a life that the interview attends. This implies considering that the ethics of research runs through the very exercise of, in this case, the interview, so that it is not an external constraint to the method, but an integral part of its deployment. Informed consents play a fundamental role in the achievement of the above, however, they often turn out to be standardized protocols that fail to protect or inform the participating subjects, given their technical language and the little reflection on the social relationship they establish, with the result that Informed Consent ends up being installed in the distance between the researcher and the research participant. This is why it is necessary to stop and consider what is understood by ethics, in order to make the interview a fair institution that is built on the recognition of the other as part of the research exercise. Thus, ethics in qualitative social research must be recognized as both situated and, therefore, as reflexive and non-standardized. Thus, we conclude by arguing that in qualitative social research, understanding and ethics are imbricated in a single exercise.

¿QUÉ INHIBE LA PARTICIPACIÓN EN ACTIVIDADES DE MOVILIDAD?: Un acercamiento a la percepción de los estudiantes de educación superior en Guanajuato

La movilidad estudiantil, como parte de los esfuerzos de internacionalización, es una de las actividades que ha tenido efectos positivos tanto en estudiantes como en las instituciones de educación superior. Sin embargo, el análisis sobre la gestión de este tipo de programas en México es todavía limitado, particularmente el que se basa en la perspectiva de los estudiantes. Con base en resultados obtenidos de una encuesta con representatividad estatal, aplicada a estudiantes de Guanajuato, se presentan diversos hallazgos con respecto a factores que inhiben la movilidad estudiantil, entre los que destacan las restricciones derivadas del contexto socioeconómico de alumnos y sus familias. Esto resalta la necesidad de diseñar políticas de promoción de movilidad académica que consideren dichos factores, a efecto de reducir la posibilidad de generar nuevas brechas de desigualdad.Alternate :Student mobility, as part of the efforts of internationalization, is an activity that has had positive effects on both the students and institutions of higher education. The analysis of program implementation in Mexico, however, is still limited, and particularly in terms of student perspectives. Based on results obtained from a state survey of students in Guanajuato, this article points to factors that inhibit student mobility, underlining restrictions derived from the socioeconomic context of students and their families. The findings emphasize the need to design policies that consider such factors in promoting student mobility, in order to reduce the possibility of generating new inequality gaps.

COVID-19 Media Chatter and Macroeconomic Reflectors on Black Swan: A Spanish and Indian Stock Markets Comparison

Predictive analytics of financial markets in developed and emerging economies during the COVID-19 regime is undeniably challenging due to unavoidable uncertainty and the profound proliferation of negative news on different platforms. Tracking the media echo is crucial to explaining and anticipating the abrupt fluctuations in financial markets. The present research attempts to propound a robust framework capable of channeling macroeconomic reflectors and essential media chatter-linked variables to draw precise forecasts of future figures for Spanish and Indian stock markets. The predictive structure combines Isometric Mapping (ISOMAP), which is a non-linear feature transformation tool, and Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR), which is an ensemble machine learning technique to perform predictive modelling. The Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) is used to interpret the black-box type predictive model to infer meaningful insights. The overall results duly justify the incorporation of local and global media chatter indices in explaining the dynamics of respective financial markets. The findings imply marginally better predictability of Indian stock markets than their Spanish counterparts. The current work strives to compare and contrast the reaction of developed and developing financial markets during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been argued to share a close resemblance to the Black Swan event when applying a robust research framework. The insights linked to the dependence of stock markets on macroeconomic indicators can be leveraged for policy formulations for augmenting household finance. © 2023 by the authors.

Oral cancer knowledge in adults evaluated through a phone survey in the context of SARS-COV2 pandemic

Introduction: Oral cancer is Colombia's 8th most common cancer, with an estimated survival rate of 52%. Lack of knowledge and awareness about oral cancer and its risk factors is associated with a delay in diagnosis. Objective(s): To evaluate adults' oral cancer knowledge through a phone survey in the context of the SARS-COV2 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted by phone during the COVID-19 pandemic on 268 patients attending at the dental school of Universidad de Antioquia, years 2020-2021. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Result(s): The mean age was 58.9 years. 58.6% of participants had heard about oral cancer. social media was the primary source of information for 42% of participants, and 96.7% considered the screening important. Most patients did not feel worried (54.5%), fearful (59.7%), or anxious (56.3%) in case they were submitted to a screening for early detection of oral cancer. Lower socioeconomic status and educational level are correlated with lower awareness of oral cancer. The dimensions of experience and attitude towards screening were not associated with sociodemographic variables. Conclusion(s): The knowledge of oral cancer is still poor and is related to low socioeconomic and educational levels. However, this association was not observed in the attitude and experience dimensions toward screening for oral cancer. Therefore, there seems to be a need for more educational programs about knowledge of oral cancer, especially in socially disadvantaged groups, considering that there are no barriers related to screening.

Corona Larona: A 2.5D Mobile Game Advocating COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Mitigation Strategies

Governments and health agencies around the world have been at the forefront of managing the COVID-19 pandemic. To control the spread of the outbreak, mandatory safety protocols have been put into effect. Despite the continuous development and strict enforcement of these preventive guidelines, non-compliance with these mandatory safety protocols has been reported. Getting the message to the public is one of the key challenges in convincing people to follow mitigation policies. In this study, we employed the media of video games to advocate for COVID-19 safety protocols. We developed a video game called "Corona Larona"that features microgames with action gameplay playable on a mobile platform. Our video game concentrated on several preventive measures such as physical distancing, hand washing, wearing face masks as well as basic knowledge about the virus using in-game multiple choice questions. To our knowledge, this is the first video game dedicated to the COVID-19 outbreak and the mandatory safety protocols. In a time when many people play video games to survive their current situation, the Corona Larona game is a strategic example of using and maximizing this form of media for a more noble purpose. © 2022 IEEE.

Patterns in Oral Hygiene and Dietary Habits in School Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim: To assess oral hygiene and dietary patterns in school children participating in a school-based preventive oral health program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, an anonymous questionnaire exploring oral hygiene and dietary patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic was completed by parents of school children. Data were compared among different schools, school years, and between genders using nonparametric tests. Associations among further nominal and categorical variables related to oral hygiene and dietary habits were also assessed using the chi-square test. Results: Only 26% (n = 32) of parents reported that their children brushed their teeth the recommended amount of twice or more per day during the pandemic. In addition, 17.2% of the parents reported less brushing than before the pandemic. A total of 40 parents (32.8%) reported that their child consumed unhealthy beverages once a day or more. Comparison between genders revealed that male participants were drinking significantly unhealthier than female (p = 0.038). Sugary foods were consumed once a day or more by 63.1% of children. No significant differences were found between public and church schools. Significant direct associations were found between changes in dietary habits and brushing frequency (p = 0.017), between parental concern regarding the interruption of the school program and decreased brushing frequency (p = 0.005), and negative changes in dietary habits (p = 0.013). Clinical significance: Within the limitations of this study, the present significant findings observed during the pandemic support the importance of school programs in promoting oral hygiene and healthy dietary habits of children. © The Author(s). 2023 Oorg/licenses/by-nc/4.0.

Disaster risk reduction, the Sustainable Goals agenda and the principles of the SUS, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. / A redução de risco de desastres, a agenda dos Objetivos Sustentáveis e os princípios do SUS, no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19.

The aim of this study was to analyze the connections between the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the principles of Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) in the context of the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential implications for population health. This qualitative, cross-sectional, exploratory study collected data from health professionals with experience in emergency and disaster risk management and treatment practices, which were then processed using the Iramuteq software for lexical analysis. The textual corpus was presented through a descending hierarchical classification that resulted in seven classes grouped into three categories: disaster response in the context of SUS; prevention of future disaster risks; and preparedness and recovery actions based on the Sendai Framework and the SDGs. The study highlighted aspects related to the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges related to disaster risk reduction as advocated by the Sendai Framework, emphasizing the need to strengthen the culture of safety and sustainability within the SUS, which aligns with the ODS and social determinants of health.

O objetivo foi analisar os nexos entre o Marco de Sendai para a Redução do Risco de Desastres, os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) e os princípios do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), no contexto da emergência de saúde pública da pandemia de COVID-19, e suas potenciais implicações para a saúde da população. O estudo é qualitativo, transversal, exploratório, com dados coletados junto a profissionais de saúde com experiência em práticas assistenciais e de gestão de risco de emergências e desastres, e tratados pelo software Iramuteq para análise lexical. O corpus textual foi apresentado através da classificação hierárquica descendente, que originou sete classes aglutinadas em três categorias denominadas: resposta a desastres no contexto do SUS; prevenção de futuros riscos de desastres; e ações de preparação e recuperação a partir do Marco de Sendai e dos ODS. Ressaltou-se aspectos sobre os efeitos diretos e indiretos da pandemia de COVID-19 e os desafios relacionados à redução do risco de desastres preconizados no Marco de Sendai, apontando a necessidade de fortalecer a cultura de segurança e sustentabilidade no âmbito do SUS, o que se coaduna com os ODS, bem como aos determinantes sociais da saúde.