The arise of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in Cape Verde

Since March 2020, we have been living in a pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19 disease. The emergence of new variants and strains of SARS-CoV-2 virus, in particular the Delta variant in October 2020, sparked a new alert for the scientific community, given its high efficiency in replication and transmissibility, as well as its relationship to more serious symptoms, which contribute to the increase of hospitalization and mortality rates, particularly in African countries. In this case report, we explored the arrival of the Delta variant in Cape Verde, an African middle-income country, in August 2021, and analyzed its possible effects on increased notification of new cases and mortality rates in the country, as well as the health system's responsiveness to the new variant. This is particularly relevant given the country's lack of infrastructure for the screening and surveillance of new variants, which, therefore, influence the adoption of new mitigation and control measures for COVID-19 prevention, particularly in this period of flexibilization of the most COVID-19 restrictive measures (i.e. social distance), return of tourism and schools activities in the country. © 2023 Multidisciplinary Science Journal. All rights reserved.

Role of 1-minute sit-to-stand in the diagnosis of Long COVID

Introduction: Current literature on 1-minute sit-to-stand (1-STS) role in COVID-19 focuses on its ability to predict need for hospitalization or home discharge, but not Long COVID diagnosis where gaps in knowledge are recognized in NICE Long COVID guidelines. Aim(s): Assess 1-STS role in Long COVID definition. Method(s): Prospective ongoing cohort of post COVID-19 patients referred to body plethysmography at a university tertiary hospital. Result(s): Thirty-two patients were analyzed (53.1% male, mean 54 years-old), of whom 15 (46.9%) fulfilled Long COVID criteria. Of these, the most common symptoms were insomnia and/or excessive fatigue (n=8, 53.3%) and dyspnea (n=4, 26.7%). Long COVID patients had higher body mass index (29.7+/-6.0 vs 26.2+/-3.3Kg/m2;p=0.043). Patients with and without Long COVID were similar regarding age (p=0.827), hospitalization due to COVID-19 (p=0.811) or smoking history (p=0.234). Parameters of the 1-STS most associated with Long COVID were lower heart rate (HR) at 30' (89.1+/-14.0 in Long COVID vs 105.9+/-14.3bpm for no Long COVID criteria;p=0.002) and at 60' (99.3+/-24.0 vs 120.8+/-13.9bpm;p=0.004), as well as lower SpO at 60' (94.5+/-4.4 vs 97.1+/-1.6%;p=0.046). The parameter with the highest predictive power for Long COVID was HR at 60'(AUC=0.808;p=0.003), and when <80bpm revealed 90% sensitivity and 99% specificity in this study population. Decline of SpO during 1-STS was tendentially greater in those with Long COVID, yet without significance (-2.7+/-4.4 vs -0.8+/-1.4%;p=0.093). Conclusion(s): Lower final SpO and HR on 1-STS, as well as 30' HR, were associated with the occurrence of Long COVID. Final HR<80 bpm in a post COVID-19 setting might be the best 1-STS predictor of Long COVID.

Establishing the Paediatric Neurology Service in a Resource-Limited Country'Trinidad and Tobago

Objective: To discuss the challenges in establishing the paediatric neurology service locally in a resource-limited setting and how we overcame these limitations. Methods/Challenges: (1) Discussion of the service prior to 2020;(2) Training of paediatricians and the local medical board drafted pathway for subspecialty registration;(3) The difficulties in securing posts within the health system (as well as the discrepancies amongst different regions within Trinidad and Tobago);(4) Discussion of a tiered referral system;(5) Limitations in services (including investigations and treatment options);(6) The effects of COVID-19 on a new sub-specialty service. Results/Discussion Points: Prior to 2020, there was no established paediatric neurology service. Changes in local medical board paediatric training from 2020 and the impacts on sub-specialty pathway registration. Discussion on the need for a national service provision due to the discrepancies amongst RHA trained consultants. The development of paediatric epilepsy surgery service within the Caribbean. This would influence the tiered referral system both locally and regionally. The routes for accessing investigations that are not available within the public healthcare setting, including genetic testing. Pathways for accessing treatment on a case-by-case basis. The impact of COVID-19 on service provision'negative and positive aspects. Conclusion(s): With the established local training pathway for paediatrics, as well as opportunities to extend our subspecialty knowledge base in developed countries e.g. UK, Canada, we can improve the services provided. Despite being an independent nation, we are grateful to our Commonwealth leaders for continuing to guide our professional tutelage.

Mortality And Risk Factors Associated With Dialysis Patients With COVID-19 In A Brazilian Supplementary Health Service

Introduction. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and COVID-19 are at high risk of adverse outcomes due to the presence of comorbidities. However, it is still unclear whether dialysis therapy is associated with a worse prognosis in patients infected with SARSCoV- 2. The objectives were to assess mortality and risk factors associated with a worse prognosis of these patients (e.g., age, sex, comorbidities, Intensive Care Admission [ICU] admission, and need for invasive mechanical ventilation [IMV]). Methods. An observational, descriptive, retrospective study was conducted in the private healthcare maintenance organization (Unimed-BH) of Belo Horizonte and 33 surrounding cities in Brazil. We used data collected from the organization's database. We included adult inpatients with CKD on previous dialysis therapy who tested positive for COVID-19, from February 2020 to June 2021. Results. During the period, 16182 patients were admitted to Unimed-BH with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Of these, 333 (2%) had dialysis CKD. Male patients were 180 (54%), age ranged from 22.85 to 95.75 years and the mean was 60.91 years. Of the 333 patients, 109 (32.7%) were admitted to the ICU, and 56 (16.8%) required IMV. Among the 14 comorbidities analysed, the mean number of comorbidities was 6, with 93 (27.9%) dyslipidaemia, 74 (22%) diabetic, 270 (81%) hypertensive, 25 (7.5%) asthmatic, 42 (12.6%) with chronic pulmonary disease (CPD) and 122 (36.6%) with congestive heart failure (CHF). There were 66 (19.8%) deaths, 29 (43.9%) were male, the mean age was 60.8 years, and 23 patients (34.8%) were elderly (>60 years). Among the patients who died, 55 (83.3%) were in the ICU and 46 (69.7%) on IMV. The mean number of comorbidities was 9.27 being 16 (24.2%) dyslipidaemia, 44 (66.6%) diabetic, 60 (90.9%) hypertensive, 5 (7%) asthmatic, 10 (15%) with CPD and 32 (48.5%) with CHF. Conclusions. Dialysis patients appear more susceptible to unfavourable outcomes than the general population. Our findings are similar to those reported in the world literature which is still scarce. It is important to conduct more studies on this population.

Outcomes Of Centenaries Hospitalized Due To COVID-19 In A Private Healthcare System

Introduction. Life expectancy is increasing worldwide. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, people 100 years or more (centenaries) were challenged by a potentially fatal disease. We evaluated the outcome of centenaries hospitalized due to COVID-19 in a private healthcare system of Belo Horizonte/Brazil (Unimed-BH). Methods. Administrative data were collected from the hospital database. Patients were included if they had a severe adult respiratory syndrome due to coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ribonucleic acid identified by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) or by the International Code of Disease- 10th review (ICD-10) hospitalization codes U07.1, B34.2, or B97.2. Results. From March 1 2020 to October 31 2021, 316.4 & plusmn;12.9 centenaries/month were registered. Eighteen hospitalizations due to COVID-19 were identified. Median age was 101.8 years (interquartile range [IQR]:100.7,103.0). Most patients were female (83%). There was a median of 6.0 morbidities per patient (IQR:5.3,7.8), range 2-12 morbidities, among 71 possible morbidities. The most described morbidities were systemic arterial hypertension (94%), dementia (61%), and congestive heart failure (61%). Median length of hospitalization was 6.5 days (IQR:3.3,8.0). No patient was dialyzed. Seven (39%) patients died during hospitalization, of whom 3 (17%) were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit and 2 (11%) were oxygenated by invasive mechanical ventilation. No other patients were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit or invasively mechanically ventilated. Conclusions. Although the hospitalization rate was low, the mortality rate during hospitalization was high among centenaries. Further research is required to evaluate the actual risks of centenaries to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent outcomes.

Analise Retrospectiva Dos Fatores Associados as Reacoes Transfusionais Imediatas Ocorridas No Hospital Das Clinicas Hcfmb Nos Anos De 2020 E 2021 Na Pandemia De Covid-19

Objetivo: O presente trabalho busca realizar uma analise retrospectiva dos fatores associados as reacoes transfusionais imediatas (RTIs) ocorridas no Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu nos anos de 2020 e 2021 durante a pandemia de COVID-19. Materiais e Metodos: Os dados pertinentes foram coletados atraves dos formularios de notificacao a ANVISA das reacoes transfusionais ocorridas nos anos de 2020 e 2021 (periodo de pandemia de COVID-19) juntamente com dados dos pacientes disponiveis no sistema informatizado do hospital HCFMB (idade, gravidade da reacao, sexo, ano de ocorrencia, tipo de reacao, tipo de hemocomponente, quantidade, transfusao realizada no passado, COVID-19 nos ultimos 3 meses da reacao e diagnostico clinico de admissao). Resultados: No ano de 2020 foram transfundidos 12.394 hemocomponentes e foram notificadas 48 RTIs, acarretando em uma incidencia de 0,39%. Em 2021 foram transfundidos 11.658 hemocomponentes e foram notificados 36 RTIs, incidencia de 0,31%. Atraves da analise dos dados obtidos, foi possivel observar que a RT febril nao hemolitica foi a mais recorrente 47 (56%), seguida da RT alergica 28 (33%) e da RT por sobrecarga volemica 9 (11%). A maioria das RTIs foram classificadas como leves 75 (89%) e ocorreram principalmente em adultos de 30 a 59 anos 35 (41%). Observou-se associacao estatisticamente significativa entre a gravidade e o tipo de RTI (p <= 0,05), gravidade com a faixa etaria (p = 0.02) e correlacao entre o tipo do hemocomponente recebido e o tipo de RTI (p = 0.004). Discussao: Em concordancia com os dados disponiveis na literatura, foi observado a maior ocorrencia da RTI febril nao hemolitica, o que pode ser justificado principalmente pela presenca de leucocitos e citocinas pro-inflamatorias nos hemocomponentes que nao passaram pelo processo de filtracao. Ademais, verificou-se a associacao entre a gravidade e o tipo de reacao, uma vez que, algumas RTI possuem maior gravidade que outras. A correlacao entre a gravidade da RTI e a faixa etaria do paciente tambem foi observada no estudo, mostrando que pacientes idosos (60 anos ou mais) possuem reacoes moderadas e graves com maior frequencia do que as demais faixas etarias, o pode estar relacionado com a maior suscetibilidade atrelada ao processo de senescencia biologica. A correlacao entre o tipo de hemocomponente recebido e o tipo da RTI tambem se sustenta, ao passo que algumas RTIs ocorrem com maior frequencia quando o paciente recebe um determinado hemocomponente, como por exemplo a maior ocorrencia de RTI alergica associada com a transfusao de concentrado de plaquetas. Conclusao: Com base no estudo realizado foi possivel identificar uma incidencia media de RTIs de 0,35% para os anos de 2020 e de 2021. A RTI mais recorrente foi a febril nao hemolitica que corrobora com dados previos da literatura, pois tambem podem estar associados a fatores intrinsecos do receptor. A maioria das RTIs foram leves e acometeram principalmente adultos. Observou-se associacoes entre gravidade e tipo da reacao, gravidade e a faixa etaria e entre o tipo do hemocomponente recebido e o tipo da RTI. Copyright © 2022

The state in the face of the air transport crisis: the cases of Brazil and Mozambique

This article aims to analyze governmental action in response to the air transport crisis, adopting Brazil and Mozambique as a case study, observing whether these countries followed global trends in support of companies, or if, due to specific national circumstances, they gave different responses to the sector over the years of 2020 and 2021. For this, bibliographic and documentary research was carried out. The results show that the trends pointed out for the airline sector were partially implemented in both countries. In Brazil, government financial support was provided indirectly, through actions that ensured the survival of airlines while in Mozambique, the transfer of public resources was direct.

Vulnerable subpopulations in Caribbean children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19

Objective: To identify factors associated with the need for supportive hospitalised care among children admitted for COVID-19. Design and Methods: A multicentre retrospective descriptive cohort of children <17 years , hospitalized with COVID- 19 in nine hospitals in Barbados, The Bahamas, and Jamaica from September 2020 to July 2021. The need for supportive therapy was explored by age, and among children with and without a range of comorbidities. Result(s): Among 238 hospitalized children, 56% were < 5 years of age. Comorbidities were present in 107 (45%), with proportionately more comorbidities among older children (> 5 years of age, p < 0.001). Comorbidities included asthma 21(9%), sickle cell disease 20 (8%), neurological 12 (5%) or cardiac 11 (5%) diseases, and diabetes 11 (5%). Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MISC) was present among 32 (13%) children, and of these the largest proportion 12 (29%) were between 5 and 9 years of age (p = 0.04). All diabetic children had diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and 83% of neurology cases had seizures. Oxygen use was common among children with asthma (50%), obesity (75%) and MIS-C (40%). Blood products were required among children with MISC (40%), or with malignancy (50%). Almost three-quarters of children with MISC had additional complications, including liver dysfunction, acute kidney injury, and anaemia, and these children regularly required inotropes (22%), non-invasive ventilatory support (12%), or ICU admission (34%). Conclusion(s): Children with asthma, obesity, malignancy, diabetes and neurological disease require additional support with more ICU support needed in MISC cases. Care of vulnerable groups and early recognition and intervention for severe MISC should be prioritized.

Nutritional status and COVID-19 in children: a Caribbean inpatient survey

Objective: The objectives are to determine the incidence of malnutrition and anemia and evaluate the association of nutritional status and COVID-19-related clinical outcomes in children hospitalized for COVID-19. Method(s): This multi-island inpatient survey presents data from nine hospitals in three Caribbean islands in children from birth to 17 years from September 2020 to July 2021. We explore statistical associations with inpatient characteristics and potential differences between malnourished and well-nourished children. Result(s): Among children hospitalized for COVID-19, 6.8% were stunted, 6.6% were underweight, 13.6% were overweight/ obese, and 30% had anemia. Anemia was associated with multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children but not with malnutrition. The prevalence of underweight children exceeded the 4.4% prevalence in the general pediatric population in islands and there was a greater-than-expected prevalence of overweight children hospitalized with COVID-19. No clear associations were detected between malnutrition and indicator outcomes. There were two deaths in children with severe malnutrition, COVID and septicemia identified after the study window. Conclusion(s): Hospitalizations exceeded baseline population rates of undernutrition but no significant associations were detected possibly due to small numbers. T cell activity is associated with less disease severity in SARS-CoV-2 infection and the diverse repertoire of naive T lymphocytes in children may confer protection to undernourished children. The deaths in two children with severe malnutrition and sepsis may suggest a compound effect on immunity by nutrition severity and COVID-19 disease. Overweight children in this cohort may reflect an increased prevalence of overweight children in the general population that requires further evaluation and intervention.

Caribbean Children and the COVID-19 pandemic: A call for data-driven planning

Objective: There are few published reports concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children in the Caribbean. The specific impacts of COVID-19 on Caribbean children aged 0-19 are examined. Method(s): Using standardized online questionnaire , primary data and published reports the burden of COVID-19 among children is evaluated. Result(s): Most islands have pediatric specialists, but few have designated pediatric hospitals. The higher number of cases among children is notable in islands with large populations such as Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. The proportion of children among all cases in these islands range from 0.6%- 16.9% compared with a global case rate of 20.2%. As of August 2021, there were 33 cumulative deaths among children in Haiti, Jamaica, in Trinidad and Barbados. The case fatality rates (CFR) for 0-9-year-old and 10-19-year-old were 2.8 and 0.7 for Haiti, 0.1 and 0.2 for Jamaica, and 0 and 0.14 for Trinidad compared with and globally. Higher CFRs in Haiti may be related to the testing strategy, which may not identify all cases. However, low socioeconomic status and a poor healthcare system may have had an impact. Conclusion(s): Overall COVID-19 prevalence and mortality in children were consistent with global estimates. A standardized regional assessment and the multidimensional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among children warrants further examination in light of limited resources and the potential lifelong impact of secondary effects.

Guidelines for Job of Physical Education Professionals in the context of COVID-19

The objective of the study was to create an assistance protocol for the public, specific for Physical Education (PE) professionals, in the context of COVID-19. The present study had a qualitative approach, delineated by documental and bibliographic analysis of the documents available on the websites of the Health Professional Councils. Thus, a protocol was elaborated consisting of two types of professional activity, of a general domain, which reinforces actions already presented by other studies, and of a specific domain, which presents new guidelines for PE professionals. Furthermore, this protocol classified the work of these professionals into three situations, namely: constant physical contact, transitory physical contact, and improbable physical contact. Up to the present moment, specifications of Personal Protective Equipment for PE professionals focused on clothing, client contact and exercise intensity have not been verified, except for the general work environment. Therefore, it is expected that the current study contributes to the health and safety of PE professionals in this pandemic context. © 2022 University of Beira Interior. All rights reserved.

Remote teaching in times of social distancing: a study in the accounting and actuarial sciences courses

Purpose: Considering the imposed social isolation measures to contain the spread of the SarsCov-2 virus, the cause of COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person classes started to be held remotely. Those measures had an impact on education, mainly because they had to be adopted quickly, with no time for preparation. In our current study, we investigate how remote teaching has been occurring in the undergraduate courses of Accounting and Actuarial Sciences at a Public Higher Education Institution (PHEI), in times of social distancing. Methodology: An e-survey was carried out with teachers and students, in order to obtain information on the subject. The collected data were processed using statistical techniques to generate the results. Results: It came across that the studied PHEI did not have resources such as a Flipped classroom, Digital Whiteboard or any other technological tools to support remote classes, since the remote teaching modality became a need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PHEI launched, via public notices, programs for digital inclusion in order to acquire mobile data and equipment, such as computers/smartphones/tablets for students;however, only few of the students could have access to those resources. Contributions of the Study: Our research results contribute to the state-of-the-art regarding undergraduate courses, by investigating their evolution towards remote learning. Such contributions provide information and knowledge on this subject to the national scientific literature, and give support and guidance to other courses offered by public and/or private higher education institutions.

Effectiveness of Anti-IL4R Therapy Following Suboptimal Response to Anti-IL5/5R Therapy in Severe Eosinophilic Asthma

Introduction:Dupilumab is an anti-IL4R monoclonal antibody (mAb) with proven efficacy in severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). We have previously identified that a suboptimal response to the eosinophil targeting anti-IL5/5R mAbs mepolizumab and benralizumab is seen in 27% and 14% of patients with SEA respectively1,2. The mechanism of this is not well-understood. It is unknown whether such patients respond in a clinically meaningful way following a switch to dupilumab. Methods:We performed a retrospective analysis of the clinical effectiveness of dupilumab (minimum 6 months treatment) in patients with SEA at our tertiary severe asthma centre who had failed to adequately respond to at least one of the anti-IL-5/5R mAbs. Change in the annualised exacerbation rate (AER), maintenance oral corticosteroids (mOCS) requirements, ACQ-6 and mAQLQ was recorded. Results:Thirty-two patients (mean age 41.2, 68.8% female, 71.9% atopic) were included in the analysis. 13/32(40.6%) had co-morbid nasal polyposis and 5/32(15.6%) had eczema. The baseline FeNO was 60ppb(IQR 39.6-87.5) and peak eosinophil count prior to any mAb was 0.6(IQR 0.5-0.9). 23/32(71.8%) were switched from benralizumab, of whom, 12/23(52.2%) had also failed to respond to at least one other anti-IL5 mAb previously. At six months, the daily median mOCS dose in those requiring mOCS at baseline (n=18) fell from 10mg(IQR 5-25mg) to 3mg(IQR 0-5mg), p≤0.001. 4/18(22%) were able to stop mOCS completely. Mean(SD) AER improved from 2.34(1.89) to 0.44(0.95), p≤0.001. There were also significant improvements in ACQ6 and mAQLQ that exceeded twice the MCID for both measures: mean (SD) ACQ6 improved from 3.04(1.26) to 1.82(1.28), p≤0.001;mAQLQ improved from 3.90(SD 1.40) to 5.36(SD 1.05), p≤0.001. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FEV1 data was only available for 8 patients. However, there was nonetheless a significant rise in FEV1 (%predicted) from 55.6% (9.78) to 68.5%(16.9), p=0.011. One patient discontinued dupilumab during the follow-up period. Conclusion: A minority of individuals with SEA have a suboptimal response to eosinophil targeted therapy with an anti-IL5/5R mAb. In these patients, we report significant clinical improvements following initiation with dupilumab suggesting an important role for the IL-4/-13 pathway in these patients. Further research is required to understand whether these patients represent a distinct subphenotype of T2-high asthma.

To study the training program implemented by the housekeeping department for onboarding staff in a post pandemic world and its impact on employee motivation

In any industry, recruitment, training and effective onboarding of a new staff is considered to be a challenging task. In the backwash of the coronavirus pandemic, however, the industry is now found in completely new landscape. The old followed practices for recruiting and training are no longer effective enough. There is complete new set of requirements established by the COVID-19. Post the outbreak of pandemic, hospitality industry has witnessed a drastic change. Sudden lockdown and prolonged closure of the hotels has made the employees of the industry suffer a lot. From a busy working day to a day without any work has been a very unpleasant transition for everyone. However, post unlock hotels have started their operations slowly following all the new normal implemented post COVID-19. Imagine, a crisis to forces hospitality industry to change their way of operations almost overnight. Notwithstanding initial fears and anxiety, industry has realized that these changes in operations could be treated as a blueprint for upcoming years. This is what the industry leaders are finding across the globe as they respond to the COVID-19. Housekeeping being a core department responsible for maintaining the upkeep of the hotel, is no longer responsible for just the cleaning jobs. The role has changed 360 degrees and the department has truly become a backbone of the hotels. In the difficult times of pandemic, staffs have reskilled and upskilled themselves to deal with this situation and create safe and hygienic environment for both staff and guest. Lot of training programs have been implemented vigorously before the reopening of hotels, making their staff ready to take up the new challenges. These training programs have helped the staff members keep their morals high and welcome guests with new energy and hope.

CAPTAÇÃO DE DOADORES EM UM HOSPITAL DE TRAUMA DE PORTO ALEGRE/RS DURANTE A PANDEMIA

Objetivos: Desenvolvimento e implementação de reforço do processo de captação ativa de doadores de sangue, a fim de suprir as demandas do Hospital Cristo Redentor (HCR), especializado no atendimento às vítimas de trauma na cidade de Porto Alegre/RS, tendo início em setembro de 2020. Material e métodos: Elaboração e implementação de um fluxo de abordagem humanizada, educativa e transparente dos usuários e familiares para captação/ sensibilização quanto à importância da doação de sangue. O fluxo tem início na entrada do paciente no hospital, adotando estratégia mais abrangente com todos os familiares dos pacientes internados. A solicitação de doadores varia conforme o tipo de cirurgia a ser realizado. As abordagens ocorrem com os pacientes ambulatoriais que internam para realizar cirurgias eletivas, durante a consulta médica e de enfermagem e na marcação cirúrgica. Os pacientes internados vindos da emergência têm seus familiares abordados pela equipe do Serviço Social, de forma a esclarecer as dúvidas referentes à doação e entendimento da importância quanto à necessidade de manter os estoques de hemocomponentes para atender as demandas da hemoterapia. Resultados: A partir da implementação do fluxograma de captação/sensibilização de doadores ocorreu aumento do número de doações direcionadas ao HCR recebidas no Banco de Sangue do Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, que abastece a demanda de estoques de hemocomponentes do serviço. A Agência Transfusional do HCR realiza em média 250 transfusões mensais (período da pandemia), dessas 174 são de Concentrado de Hemácias (CH). O cálculo do percentual de doadores reposição é realizado de acordo com a equação: número de doadores aptos/número total de transfusões de CH. O percentual de reposição foi de 54% (1° semestre 2020) para 111% (2° semestre 2020) e 140% (1° semestre 2021). Discussão: Considerando a drástica diminuição de doações de sangue durante o período da pandemia de COVID-19 e a necessidade de manter um estoque adequado para atendimento de vítimas de trauma, foi necessário o desenvolvimento de estratégias que possibilitassem um incremento do número de doações, a fim de suprir as demandas da Agência Transfusional do HCR. Após a implementação de uma abordagem mais ativa sobre a importância da doação de sangue, observamos uma maior mobilização de amigos e familiares de pacientes internados e consequentemente aumento no número de doações para o HCR, mesmo em nome de pacientes que não necessitaram efetivamente de transfusão. Conclusão: O trabalho de captação de doadores é uma tarefa contínua e integrada que requer participação de todos profissionais da saúde. Diante das adversidades enfrentadas na pandemia, diminuição da capacidade de atendimento de doadores no Banco de Sangue, doações com horário marcado e o isolamento social foi necessário criar métodos para continuar atendendo a demanda de transfusões. O esclarecimento quanto à segurança da doação e da importância da mesma para familiares dos pacientes foi fundamental para o engajamento no processo de captação de doadores. Esse esforço resultou em um salto na média de doadores de reposição de 54% no primeiro semestre de 2020 para 140% no primeiro semestre de 2021. Um aumento considerável no número de doadores de sangue mesmo em um período complicado por tantas restrições.

IoT-based indoor access control and monitoring: a case study from the containment measures of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many serving environments to seek solutions to control people's access and avoid crowding in order to contain its spread, and to ensure the health and safety of users. Given the various current solutions, this paper presents a monitoring system that shows, in real-time, via web, the status of people in closed environments. It uses internet of things (IoT) techniques for data interconnections and electronic components - NodeMCU board and proximity sensors - to monitor the entrance and exit of people in an enclosed environment, providing the statistics through an IoT platform (application) that can be installed in a mobile device (smartphone). This study highlights a low-budget system, shows the implementation of IoT platforms in the development of prototypes and the tests carried out in the academic service office.