Microfluidic devices with electrochemical detection towards Covid-19 detection

Over the decades, scientists have made efforts to enhance the performance of analytical procedures whether by creating simpler and faster assays, eliminating unnecessary/laborious steps or by improvements on hardware setup. In this context, microfluidics is the science related to manipulation and control of fluids physically constrained to submillimeter dimensions. This field emerged due to the use of microfabrication techniques for microelectronics purposes such as microchips and microcircuits. As an immediate consequence, the miniaturization of components either by creating new types of microstructures or recreating existing structures (e.g. channels, valves, storage containers, pumps, couplers,) allows the possibility of an entire laboratory in a single micro-sized device (Squires and Quake in RMP 77:977-1026, 2005 1), performing remarkable tasks in biological and chemical (Chiu et al. in Chem 2:201-223, 2017;Alam et al. in Anal Chim Acta 1044:29-65, 2018;Velve-Casquillas et al. in Nano Today 5:28-47, 2010 [2-4]) analysis. Especially for analytical chemistry, a direct consequence of the miniaturization of hardware dimensions impact on less consumption of reagents and minimum sample amount, typically nano or picoliter volumes and hence reduction of chemical waste. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. All rights reserved.

Transcriptomic approaches in COVID-19: From infection to vaccines

Transcriptomics technologies have enabled the rapid response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A variety of platforms including oligonucleotide microarrays, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) have been applied to the most diverse set of samples acquired from cell cultures, organoids, and animal models experimentally infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as from cells, tissues, and biofluids from COVID-19 patients. In this chapter, we will discuss transcriptomic approaches used to determine the aspects of SARS-CoV-2 structure, entry and replication, understand host responses to infection, identify diagnostic signatures, discovery, and repurpose drugs, and to elucidate the protective correlates of vaccination. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of the NRF2 activator, stabilised synthetic sulforaphane, on systemic inflammation in COVID19: results from the STAR-COVID19 trial

Introduction: Dysregulated immune responses are implicated in the pathogenesis of severe COVID19 and may be modulated by the transcription factor Nrf2. Hypothesis: Treatment with stabilised, synthetic sulforaphane (S-SFN)-an Nrf2 inducer-improves clinical status in hospitalised patients with suspected COVID19 pneumonia by curbing the inflammatory response. Method(s): Double-blind RCT of S-SFN (300mg, once daily, 14 days;EudraCT 2020-003486-19) in patients hospitalised with confirmed or suspected COVID19, in Dundee, UK. The primary outcome was the 7 point WHO Clinical Status scale at day 15. Blood samples were taken on days 1, 8 and 15 for measurement of 45 serum cytokines using the Olink Target48 panel. Key neutrophil functions were assessed including migration, phagocytosis and bacterial killing. Result(s): 133 participants were randomized (placebo n=68, S-SFN n=65) from Nov 2020 to May 2021. S-SFN treatment did not improve clinical status at day 15 (adjusted OR 0.87 95%CI 0.41-1.83). In serum, Nrf2 target TGFalpha was significantly increased at day 15 in those receiving S-SFN treatment compared with placebo (p=0.004;linear mixed effects model). Other targets implicated in cytokine storm, including IL6, IL1beta and TNFalpha, were unchanged. Patients receiving Tocilizumab (n=20) were excluded from exploratory analyses due to a strong impact upon IL6 levels, leading to significant increases at day 8 across the study population (p=0.015). S-SFN treatment did not significantly affect neutrophil function. Conclusion(s): S-SFN treatment modulated select Nrf2 targets but did not modulate key cytokines. Further analyses to delineate drug activity are ongoing.

OPTIMIZATION OF MOLECULAR METHODS FOR SARS-CoV-2 QUALITATIVE DETECTION AND GENOTYPING IN RESPIRATORY SPECIMENS FROM PATIENTS WITH LIVER DISEASE

Introduction and Objectives: SARS-CoV-2 active infection diagnosis is currently performed through RT-qPCR. Despite the fact that PCR-based assays can provide results relatively fast, these techniques require capable professionals, specific equipment and adequate infrastructure. In order to facilitate COVID-19 diagnosis in remote areas, an alternative to RT-qPCR would be loop-mediated isothermal (RT-LAMP) amplification. SARS-CoV-2 variant genotyping through high-throughput sequencing (HTS) allows SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance, especially for patients with a higher vulnerability. This study aimed to optimize RT-LAMP and HTS methods for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection and genotyping, respectively, in respiratory samples from patients with liver disease. Material(s) and Method(s): A total of 142 respiratory secretions were obtained from individuals with SARS-CoV-2 RNA detectable by RT-qPCR (N1 Ct <= 30), divided into groups with (n=18) or without (n=124) liver disease. The study also enrolled 55 individuals who had SARS-CoV-2 RNA undetectable at RT-qPCR. For RT-LAMP methodology, primers were used for ORF1 gene amplification. As for HTS genotyping, the steps of cDNA synthesis, complete SARS-CoV-2 genome PCR amplification, preparation of genomic libraries and sequencing in MinION device were performed for 26 swab samples. Result(s): Samples with viral RNA detectable by RT-qPCR had a mean Ct value of 24.3 +/- 3.75. Referring to RT-LAMP, it was observed a sensitivity of 71.1% (101/142). When considering RT-qPCR mean Ct value, RT-LAMP sensitivity was 88.9% (16/18), associated with a mean Ct of 23.3 +/- 3.5 for patients with COVID and hepatitis. A specificity of 100% (55/55) was observed since all negative swabs tested by RT-qPCR were negative at RT-LAMP. Through sequencing by MinION, SARS-CoV-2 lineages gamma (7/26;27%), zeta (1/26;3.9%), delta (6/26;23%) and omicron (12/26;46.1%) were genotyped and detected by RT-LAMP. Conclusion(s): RT-LAMP demonstrated high sensitivity for molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA for patients with high viral load. Besides, RT-LAMP was capable of detecting all SARS-CoV-2 lineages genotyped by MinION in both groups.Copyright © 2023

COVID-19 Detection Based on 6-Layered Explainable Customized Convolutional Neural Network

This paper presents a 6-layer customized convolutional neural network model (6L-CNN) to rapidly screen out patients with COVID-19 infection in chest CT images. This model can effectively detect whether the target CT image contains images of pneumonia lesions. In this method, 6L-CNN was trained as a binary classifier using the dataset containing CT images of the lung with and without pneumonia as a sample. The results show that the model improves the accuracy of screening out COVID-19 patients. Compared to other methods, the performance is better. In addition, the method can be extended to other similar clinical conditions. © 2023 Tech Science Press. All rights reserved.

Stabilised, synthetic sulforaphane in hospitalized patients with suspected COVID-19 pneumonia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT

Introduction: The transcription factor Nrf2 downregulates key inflammatory cytokines in COVID-19 (IL-6, IL-1b, COX-2 and TNF-a). We investigated the efficacy of S-SFN (stabilised sulforaphane, activator of Nrf2) to improve clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized with suspected COVID-19. Method(s): Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients hospitalised with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, radiological pneumonia and a CURB65 score of >= 1 were randomized 1:1 to once-daily S-SFN 300mg or placebo for 14 days. The primary outcome was the 7-point WHO Clinical Status (CS) scale at day 15. Key secondary outcomes included time to clinical improvement, national early warning score (NEWS), oxygen and ventilation use, and mortality. Result(s): The trial was terminated due to futility after 133 patients had been enrolled (S-SFN, n=65 and placebo, n=68). 103 had PCR confirmed COVID-19 infection. S-SFN treatment was not associated with improved CS at day 15 (OR 0.87 95%CI (0.41-1.83, p=0.712). There was no difference in time to clinical improvement (HR 1.02 (0.70- 1.49)). S-SFN was not associated with a reduced length of hospital stay (6.2days vs 7.4days (S-SFN)). There were 26 deaths during the 29-day follow-up, 11 (16.2%) and 15 (23.1%) patients died in the placebo and S-SFN treated groups respectively (HR 1.45 (0.67-3.16)). There were no differences between treatment groups with respect to oxygen or ventilation free days. Adverse events were reported in 44.1% of placebo treated and 64.6% of S-SFN treated patients. Conclusion(s): S-SFN treatment did not improve day 15 clinical status in hospitalized patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Analise Das Aquisicoes Publicas De Medicamentos Com Eficiencia Mito Ou Realidade: Relato De Experiencia De Uma Fundacao Publica

Introducao: Aquisicoes publicas de medicamentos sao um grande desafio para gestores, devem cumprir requisitos legais, transparencia, seguranca e eficiencia, diante da demanda de novas tecnologias e recursos escassos. Um processo licitatorio, inicia-se pela Selecao(o que comprar),planejamento(quanto e quando),modalidade de aquisicao(como).Estas informacoes vao compor o termo de referencia(TR)que deve explicitar de forma detalhada o objeto e cumprir as exigencias legais. Para proporcionar uma assistencia terapeutica segura e racional, o farmaceutico tem importante papel nesse contexto e precisa ter competencias, como: conhecimento tecnico, sanitario e regulatorios inerentes a compras publicas. Objetivo: Apresentar dados referentes as aquisicoes publicas de medicamentos pela Fundacao Saude(FSERJ) obtida atraves do Sistema Integrado de Gestao de Aquisicoes (SIGA). Metodologia: Foram extraidos dados de compras de medicamentos do SIGA no periodo de 01/2013-06/2022 pela equipe tecnica da COOPRL/SUBLOG, compilados e analisados em conjunto com a GERITI/DIRTA/FSERJ, para avaliar o impacto do desabastecimento de medicamentos que vem ocorrendo desde 2020 com a pandemia de COVID-19 e o papel da FSERJ no cenario macroeconomico e mercadologico no ERJ. Os dados foram: modalidades e valores de aquisicao, medicamentos da curva A, fornecedores, numero de processos e itens/TR, comparacao de valores/modalidade entre as Unidades Gerenciadoras do ERJ. Resultados: As compras de medicamentos pela FSERJ em 2022, aumentaram nos ultimos 6 meses em 50%, quando comparada a 2021, no entanto, manteve-se a regularidade de numero de processos, e isso deveu-se a entrada de 23 UPAS e 5 hospitais para Gestao da FSERJ. Com relacao a modalidade de aquisicao ha a predominancia do Pregao eletronico desde 2013. No entanto, em 2022 com 62% esta modalidade foi superada por Dispensa de licitacao (76%), o qual pode ser justificado pela dificuldade de pesquisa de mercado, aumento do numero de licitacoes desertas e fracassados decorrentes de elevados precos acima da CMED, interrupcao na producao, dependencia nacional de materia-prima da China, o que ocasionou o desabastecimento de medicamentos tais como SPGV, analgesicos, antibioticos e outros medicamentos comumente prescritos em UPAS e em hospitais geridos pela FSERJ. Observou-se a evolucao da FSERJ e a sua importancia no cenario atual de compras publicas de medicamentos, com 54% no ERJ. Foi feita analise de Pareto, dos 460 itens adquiridos,65 representam 80 % do valor, sendo rituximab o antineoplasico o de maior valor justificado pela gestao do HEMORIO, o qual e referencia para este tratamento no ERJ. Foi elencado o ranking de fornecedores o que permitira ampliar o poder de negociacao. Conclusao: O levantamento demostrou a importancia de planejar, o conhecimento tecnico e administrativo de todos os atores envolvidos nos processos de compras publicas e o quanto as informacoes podem impactar numa maior racionalizacao de recursos sobretudo no cenario atual. Copyright © 2022

Covid-19 Detection by Wavelet Entropy and Artificial Bee Colony

Computer analysis of patients' lung CT images has become a popular and effective way to diagnose COVID-19 patients amid repeated and evolving outbreaks. In this paper, wavelet entropy is used to extract features from CT images and integrate the information of various scales, including the characteristic signals of signals with transient components. Combined with the artificial bee colony optimization algorithm, we used the advantages of fewer parameters and simpler calculation to find the optimal solution and confirm COVID-19 positive. The use of K-fold cross validation allows the data set to avoid overfitting and unbalanced data set partition in small cases. The experimental results were compared with those of WE + BBO, GLCM-SVM, GLCM-ELM and WE-Jaya. Experimental data show that this method achieves our initial expectation. © 2022, ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

Results from the STAR-COVID19 trial, a double-blind RCT of stabilised, synthetic sulforaphane in hospitalised patients with suspected COVID19

Introduction and ObjectivesThe transcription factor, Nrf2, can directly promote beneficial anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. In the STAR-COVID19 trial, hospitalised patients with confirmed or suspected COVID19 were treated with stabilised, synthetic sulforaphane (S-SFN)—an Nrf2 inducer—to evaluate impact on clinical status and systemic inflammation.MethodsDouble-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of S-SFN (300 mg S-SFN or placebo once daily for 14 days;allocation ratio 1:1;EudraCT 2020–003486-19) in Dundee, UK. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, suspected or confirmed COVID19 or pneumonia and CURB65 score ≥1. The primary outcome was the 7-point WHO Clinical Status scale at day 15. Secondary outcomes included time to clinical improvement, length of hospital stay, and mortality. Blood samples were taken on days 1, 8 and 15 for exploratory analyses. To assess Nrf2 activity and inflammation, 45 serum cytokines were measured using the Olink Target48 panel and mRNA sequencing of peripheral blood leukocytes performed. Further, as key immune cells in COVID19 responses, select neutrophil functions such as migration, phagocytosis and extracellular trap formation were evaluated.Results133 participants (77.4% PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection) were randomized from Nov 2020 to May 2021. 68 received placebo (61.8% male;age 63.6±13.8) and 65 received S-SFN (53.8% male;age 61.6±12.7).S-SFN treatment did not improve clinical status at day 15 (Intention-to-treat population;adjusted OR 0.87, 95%CI 0.41–1.83, p=0.712) and the trial was terminated due to futility. Time to clinical improvement (adjusted HR 1.02(0.70–1.49)), length of hospital stay (aHR 0.84(0.56–1.26)), or 29-day mortality (aHR 1.45(0.67–3.16)) were not improved with S-SFN treatment.230 samples in total were utilised for serum cytokine measurement;Nrf2 targets implicated in cytokine storm, including IL6, IL1β and TNFα, were not significantly changed by S-„SFN treatment. Interestingly, serum TGFα was significantly increased at day 15 in those receiving S-SFN compared with placebo (p=0.004;linear mixed effects model). S-SFN treatment did not significantly affect neutrophil functions investigated.ConclusionS-SFN treatment did not improve clinical status at day 15 or modulate key inflammatory cytokines—however, changes in other factors were indicated. Further analyses, including transcriptomics, to delineate drug activity are currently ongoing.

Comparison of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among Physical Education professionals from the northeast and south of Brazil

The present study aimed to compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among Physical Education professionals in the Northeast and South of Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study. Data collection took place digitally. Through Google® Forms, a questionnaire was created, with multiple choice questions disseminated through the social networks Whatsapp®, Instagram@ and Facebook@. A total of 746 participants answered the questionnaire, 50.8% from the South Region and 49.2% from the Northeast Region. Regarding education and professional activity, most had graduated for up to 10 years (59.5%), had a full degree or both (61.3%) and worked in the private/liberal professional sector (52%). Considering financial and health planning issues, most participants were the main household income provider (64.9%), had no financial reserve (75.9%), nor had a health plan (58.6 %) or retirement plan (67%). Regarding attitudes and risks in the face of the pandemic, 94.5% of Physical Education professionals said they were in isolation. It can be concluded that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on Physical Education professionals. The ban on professional practice caused by social isolation demonstrated a profession with little planning and a vulnerable financial situation regardless of the Brazilian region. © 2022 University of Beira Interior. All rights reserved.

Erratum: Nomenclature Bets: An Innovative Computer-Based Game to Aid Students in the Study of Nomenclature of Organic CompoundsVersion 2.0 (J. Chem. Educ. (2018) 95: 3 (2055−2058) DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00298)

This paper is an addition to the article “Nomenclature Bets: An Innovative Computer-Based Game To Aid Students in the Study of Nomenclature of Organic Compounds”1 by Jose´ Nunes da Silva Junior, Mary Anne Sousa Lima, Fa´tima Nunes Miranda, Antonio Jose´ Melo Leite Junior, Francisco Serra Oliveira Alexandre, Djheyson Carlos de Oliveira Assis, and Davi Jano

PERFIL LEUCOCITÁRIO DOS INDIVÍDUOS POSITIVOS NA SOROLOGIA PARA O SARS-COV-2

Objetivos: A COVID-19, oriunda do novo coronavírus (SARS-CoV-2) se espalhou como uma pandemia, causando mais de 4 milhão de mortes globalmente, tornando-se uma emergência de saúde pública. O número de casos de pacientes recuperados é crescente, o que pode ser crucial sobre o curso da doença. Na forma grave da doença é possível observar linfopenia e leucopenia. Estes achados podem ser auxiliares como indicadores clínicos para avaliação e progressão da doença. Desta forma, este trabalho teve como objetivo descrever o perfil leucocitário dos indivíduos positivos na sorologia para o SARS-CoV-2. Material e métodos: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo em que indivíduos adultos de ambos os sexos, participantes do projeto EpiSergipe e que apresentaram resultado positivo ao teste rápido para IgG/IgM confirmado por sorologia. Foram coletadas amostras de sangue periférico para realização do hemograma e análise sorológica utilizando o kit comercial de imunoensaio fluorescente (IchromaTM COVID-19 Ab) em que os procedimentos foram realizados de acordo com as recomendações do fabricante. Resultados: Foram analisadas amostras de 847 pacientes com sorologia positiva para o SARS-CoV-2, assintomáticos ou com sintomas leves, sendo 275 do sexo masculino (32,47%) e 572 do sexo feminino (67,53%). Do total de hemogramas analisados, 9,33% apresentaram leucocitose e 2,01% leucopenia (média leucócitos totais = 7.370/mm3 /±2,10). A linfocitose foi observada em 23,61% dos indivíduos e a linfopenia foi observada em apenas 1,18% (média linfócitos = 2.550/mm3/±772). A neutrofilia foi observada em 5,90% dos participantes e a neutropenia em 5,31% (média neutrófilos = 4.280/mm3/±1,67). A maioria dos hemogramas analisados (67,41%) apresentaram todos os parâmetros normais. Discussão: A linfocitose, de acordo com estudos, pode auxiliar na previsão e acompanhamento da progressão da COVID-19, neste estudo foi observada em 23,61% dos hemogramas analisados, enfatizando que os participantes do presente estudo eram assintomáticos e sintomáticos leves, o que pode justificar o porquê grande parte dos pacientes apresentaram parâmetros dentro da normalidade. Além disso um estudo publicado em 2021, comparou os achados hematológicos de óbitos por COVID-19 com os de sobreviventes, nos indivíduos que morreram havia maior contagem de neutrófilos e leucócitos, e uma diminuição nos linfócitos, quando comparados aos sobreviventes. Neste estudo, não houveram óbitos, as taxas encontradas de leucocitose e neutrofilia foram de 9,33% e 5,90% respectivamente, e a linfopenia 1,18%. Conclusão: A partir dos resultados prévios encontrados, observa-se alterações no perfil leucocitário em indivíduos com COVID-19, condizentes com os descritos recentemente na literatura.

Constraints, effectiveness and solutions in using Google Classroom as a Learning Management System during Covid-19 pandemic: A systematic literature review

The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of using Google Classroom as an educational tool during pandemic of Covid-19. This research is a meta-analysis study based on the search for several articles from newspapers and conferences that fit within the search string and the research protocol. From the selection and extraction of articles that fit within the research protocol, the accepted articles were classified considering the criteria of effectiveness, limitations and challenges and the solutions adopted by the educational stakeholders during the pandemic. Among the results found, we can highlight that the Google Classroom tool has good usability, the mobile application facilitates communication and interaction between hyperlinks. Among the limitations of the use of the tool during the pandemic, the internet quota or connection quality, or the impossibility of downloading large files, stand out. The solutions presented were to reduce the size of files and the good preparation of students and teachers in using this tool. © 2021 IEEE.

POSB255 Enough with the Madness! Hydroxychloroquine Is NOT a Treatment for COVID-19

Objectives: Because of preliminary results from in vitro studies, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ) have been proposed as possible drugs for the treatment of COVID-19, but the clinical evidence is discordant. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19. Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed. The Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Lilacs/Ibecs databases were searched for randomized controlled trials that compared hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine with standard-of-care. A complementary search was conducted to find additional references. A quantitative synthesis of clinical outcomes was performed using the inverse variance method adjusting for a random-effects model with the DerSimonian and Laird method. Results: In total, 16 studies were included. The meta-analysis found no significant difference between intervention and control groups in terms of mortality at the longest follow-up (RR=1.09, IC95%=0.99-1.19, p-value=0.08), patients with negative PCR results (RR=0.99, IC95%=0.89-1.10, p-value=0.86), or serious adverse events (RR=2.21, IC95%=0.89-5.47, p-value=0.09). Hydroxychloroquine was associated with an increased risk of adverse events (RR=2.28, IC95%=1.36-2.83, p-value<0.01). The quality of evidence varied from very low to high. Conclusions: There is no evidence that hydroxychloroquine reduces the risk of death or cure in patients with COVID-19, but it might be associated with an increased risk of adverse events. Since the efficacy of the intervention was not demonstrated and the quality of evidence was high or moderate, it is unlikely that the results would favor the intervention if more patients were to be randomized.

Clinical outcomes of solid organ transplant recipients treated with REMDESIVIR and convalescent plasma for COVID-19 at the largest transplant center in The United States

Purpose: Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTr) are at high risk for severe disease with SARS-CoV-2. Data on efficacy of potential treatment options and long-term outcomes are lacking. We describe our experience with use of remdesivir and convalescent plasma in SOTr with COVID-19. Methods: Single-center, retrospective cohort study of SOTr diagnosed with SARSCoV- 2 infection by PCR from March 1st to September 30th, 2020. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed based on univariate analysis to identify the risk factors for higher mortality. Results: 129 SOTr were identified (Table. 1). Median time from transplant to diagnosis of infection was 27 (IQR, 8-73) months. 48 (37.2%) and 27 (21%) patients received remdesivir and convalescent plasma, respectively (Table 2). 5/48 (10.4%) patients developed mild transaminitis that did not warrant discontinuation of therapy. No adverse effects were seen with convalescent plasma. Anti-metabolite agents were decreased or stopped in majority of the patients (81%). During follow-up, 12 (9%) patients developed clinically suspected acute rejection. Death, graft loss, and secondary infection occurred in 15 (12%), 20 (16%), and 20 (16%) recipients, respectively. RT-PCR negativity was achieved at a median of 37 (IQR, 25-41) days. Risk factors identified for high mortality were elevated creatinine (p=0.029, Odds ratio[OR] 1.5, 95% Confidence Interval[CI] 1.0- 2.1) and older age (p=0.003, OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0 - 1.2) at the time of diagnosis. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive SOT recipients in our cohort had favorable outcomes. Use of remdesivir and convalescent plasma was found to be safe. Older age and elevated creatinine at the time of diagnosis were found to be risk factors for higher mortality.

The mental health of nursing professionals in the front line of COVID-19 - a literature review

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a major problem for the world and a major challenge for the global health system. With a high number of infected people due to its high transmissibility, it has been causing significant illnesses worldwide and overwhelming health systems and health professionals.

I-CovidVis - A visual analytics tool for interoperable healthcare databases using graphs

The current COVID-19 pandemic has promoted the periodic release of several health databases aimed at discovering relationships in the data, detecting similar problems in patients, and studying the evolution of the disease. A way to exploit the data is to use visualization techniques, which can lead to the discovery of insights and patterns, as well as to guide analysis procedures to understand the data. In this paper, we present I-CovidVis, a visualization tool to explore data from interoperable healthcare systems, able to compare and navigate in both global and local perspectives. Our approach is to model data as a graph and explore its structural and temporal views. Our proposal facilitates the perception of patterns, trends, periodicity, and anomalies, resulting in faster decision making. © 2021 IEEE.

Endodontic treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic - perception and behaviour of dental professionals

This study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the endodontic treatment routine. It was a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire applied to endodontists to collect information about practical modifications during endodontic treatment to protect professionals and patients against the COVID-19 outbreak. A total 1105 participants from Brazil participated in the survey. More than 90% of respondents identify the high risk of COVID-19 infection to dentists and the need to change some clinical practices. Most respondents (60.1%) are partially following social isolation. The need for a change in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during dental appointments was mentioned by 97.1% of respondents. The use of minimal adequate PPE during the pandemic period was associated with the area of residence and marital status of participants. Only 30% of respondents say they use the minimal adequate PPE. Most respondents will change cavity access preparation to reduce virus dissemination. Other changes in endodontic appointments were described in the survey: greater attention to biosafety measures, duration of dental appointments, and duration of intervals between appointments. Endodontists still need to identify the best arrangement for performing their procedures safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific guidelines require detailed information for each specialty and its procedures.