[COVID-19 in the midst of a "perfect storm" in neoliberal capitalism: critical reflections on its impacts in Brazil]. / A COVID-19 em meio a uma "tempestade perfeita" no capitalismo neoliberal: reflexões críticas sobre seus impactos no Brasil.

The impacts of the recent coronavirus pandemic on Brazilian society revealed a scenario that goes beyond a health crisis. This article sets out to present the causes and consequences of a systemic crisis in the neoliberal economic order based on the prominence of markets and social exclusion, while the role of the State - as the guardian of social rights - is neglected. The methodology adopted follows a critical interdisciplinary perspective from the fields of political economy and social sciences, located in socioeconomic reports referred to in this analysis. It is argued that the neoliberal rationale guiding government policies, which is deep rooted in the social environment, has contributed to the increase in structural inequalities in Brazil, thus creating favorable conditions for exacerbating the impacts caused by the pandemic in society, particularly among the most vulnerable social groups.

Os impactos da pandemia do novo coronavírus na sociedade brasileira revelaram um cenário que extrapola uma crise sanitária. Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar as causas e consequências de uma crise sistêmica sob a ordem econômica neoliberal lastreada na proeminência dos mercados e da exclusão social, enquanto o papel do Estado como garantidor de direitos sociais é negligenciado. A metodologia adotada segue uma perspectiva interdisciplinar crítica dos campos da economia política e das ciências sociais presente em relatórios socioeconômicos referidos nesta análise. Argumenta-se que a racionalidade neoliberal, orientando as políticas governamentais e presente no ambiente social, contribuiu para um aprofundamento das desigualdades estruturais no Brasil, gerando condições propícias para o agravamento dos impactos causados pela pandemia na sociedade, em particular nos segmentos sociais mais vulneráveis.

Cross-cultural measurement invariance of the fear of COVID-19 scale in three Portuguese-speaking countries.

This study evaluated the measurement invariance of the Portuguese version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) across three countries: Brazil (South America), Mozambique (East Africa), and Portugal (Southwest Europe). A total of 8694 participants were recruited through convenience sampling (7430 Brazilians, 387 Mozambicans, and 877 Portuguese adults). The unidimensional structure of the FCV-19S fitted well with each country's data. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that the FCV-19S was partially invariant across countries and fully invariant across gender and age groups, thus providing a solid basis for cross-group comparisons. Structural invariance tests revealed different levels of fear across countries and genders but not across age groups.

Gender and pandemic perception: analyzing perceived risk and fear among Brazilian women.

OBJECTIVE: The World Health Organization has warned of the importance of looking at the pandemic from a gender perspective since biological, social, and cultural aspects can produce differences in the way women and men experience the ongoing pandemic situation. This study aimed to investigate Brazilian women's perception of COVID-19 concerning the susceptibility to infection, the severity of COVID-19, and the collective behavior in response to pandemic risks. It also sought to examine the COVID-19 level of perceived fears by the level of fear across specific COVID-19 fears, such as the risk of infection and the threat posed to life. METHODS: The sample consisted of 5527 Brazilian women aged between 18 and 74 years (mean age = 41, SD = 13.5) recruited from an online cross-sectional survey conducted in Brazil. The analysis addressed questions about the chance of COVID-19 infection, the impact on daily activities in case of infection, the threat to life posed by COVID-19, and the collective behavior in the pandemic context. In addition, the fear of COVID-19 was assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). RESULTS: Women's age and personal conditions, particularly those related to family and domestic life, showed association with the perceived susceptibility to infection and the severity of COVID-19. The higher the perceived susceptibility and severity, the greater the fear level. The fear level was also higher among women whose perception was that people were ignoring the pandemic risks. CONCLUSION: This study provides insight into Brazilian women's perception of COVID-19 and their fear level during the pandemic's early stages. Our findings can increase the understanding of the adverse consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on women, assisting in the strategic planning of public policies.

Risk perception of COVID-19: Susceptibility and severity perceived by the Brazilian population.

This study investigated how the Brazilian population perceived the risk of COVID-19, people's behavior in response to the pandemic, and trust in the health system in case of COVID-19 infection. The sample comprised 7430 Brazilian recruited through non-probability sampling. Association analysis was performed using logistic regression. The results revealed that the economically active population and those who lived with health professionals most perceived greater susceptibility to infection. In addition, the high severity of COVID-19 was more perceived by the elderly and by those who lived with individuals in high-risk groups.

Validation of the FCV-19 Scale and Assessment of Fear of COVID-19 in the Population of Mozambique, East Africa.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to validate the Portuguese version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and investigate its association with sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables in the population of Mozambique. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey recruited 387 Mozambicans aged 18 to 70 years. The psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the FCV-19S were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and Rash analysis. Additionally, the association of the FCV-19S with sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables was investigated using the two-sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and logistic regression. RESULTS: The unidimensional factor structure of the Portuguese version of the FCV-19S was confirmed, and the scale showed good internal consistency reliability. The FCV-19S properties tested from the Rasch analysis were satisfactory. Women and those with lower education levels had higher scores of fear. Moreover, significantly higher levels of fear were observed among those being in an at-risk group for COVID-19, having family members or friends diagnosed or with death confirmed by COVID-19, and not being confident that they would receive adequate care from the public health services in case of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSION: The Portuguese version of FCV-19S has strong psychometric properties and can be used to assess the fear of COVID-19 in the Portuguese-speaking population of Mozambique. As the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health represents a challenge to clinical psychiatry, and information on mental health in African countries is still scarce, our findings may assist in the planning of public mental health policies, aimed mainly at specific segments of the population, such as women and people in extreme poverty.

Fear of COVID-19 scale: Assessing fear of the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil.

This study aimed to assess the fear of COVID-19 in the Brazilian population, validate the FCV-19S and examine the association of its scores with sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables. A total of 7430 participants were recruited in an online survey. From the factor analysis results, FCV-19S proved to be suitable, indicating a higher level of fear for women and also for those aged 18-29 years. Besides, belonging to a high-risk group and having relatives diagnosed or deceased by COVID-19 showed a positive association with fear. These findings pointed out the most vulnerable groups, which can assist in planning mental health actions.