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Introduction: Several studies have evaluated the occurrence of oral lesions and changes in sensory functions in patients positive for COVID-19. Objective(s): To evaluate the manifestations of COVID-19, emphasizing olfactory and gustatory changes, xerostomia, and oral lesions. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional and observational study was conducted. Approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (#46151121.6.0000.5141). All patients were diagnosed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) and considered to have mild symptoms, according to the latest WHO joint report. The patients were evaluated at a reference Service for COVID-19 in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The oral cavity was evaluated for each patient on the second and seventh days. Result(s): A total of 414 patients older than 18 years were evaluated. One hundred thirty-nine presented at least one of the studied conditions, oral lesions (19.08%) were the most frequently observed, followed by gustatory disorders (18.11%), xerostomia (14.25%), and olfactory dysfunction (14%). Among the oral lesions, there were various anatomical locations and clinical presentations. The occurrence involving lips and tongue represented 49 oral lesions, the most prevalent being, respectively, ulcerations (n=51), candidiasis (n=8), and erythema or red plaques (n=7). Fifty patients died. Conclusion(s): This study represents, to date, the largest case series of oral lesions in Brazilian patients with COVID-19, and oral alterations were observed in an expressive percentage of patients with COVID-19. However, it cannot be concluded that SARS-CoV-2 directly causes them.
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The digital divide presented between the Global South and North has been exacerbated due to the Covid-19 pandemic causing unequal access to technologies in education, public services, and healthcare. Through an exploratory study in the northeastern region of Mexico, a marginalized community used a hyperlocal network to engage in creative Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) activities. The study uses a qualitative methodology with a reflective approach, informed by sociocultural and dialogic concepts. Data collection primarily involved semi-structured interviews, observations, focus groups, and collection of artifacts. The findings present a rich framework of sociocultural factors and capital knowledge from the community. From the study emerged participants’ meanings in three categories: i) the use of offline mobile learning, ii) the educational practices in the non-formal context, and iii) the dialogic opportunities created among participants. From this non-formal context of education experience emerged creative lessons in innovation, agency from the learners, and genuine involvement from the participants. © 2022, IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.
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Objective: to assess the extent to which dynamic and innovative capabilities contribute to companies facing turbulent crisis scenarios such as the covid-19 pandemic. Methods: the research is characterized by a quantitative approach through an online survey and analysis by structural equation modeling (SEM). The study sample consisted of 166 companies. Results: The results showed that in the face of crisis environments (unexpected situations), companies with dynamic capabilities could deal more effectively with impacts in the face of crisis. On the other hand, but less significantly (p<0.10), innovation presents itself as a context of risk enhanced by crisis scenarios. Conclusions: The article theoretically contributes to the relationship between the themes of dynamic capacity, innovation, and impacts of the crisis, through a structural model, in the context of the pandemic generated by covid-19. From a managerial and practical perspective, the research highlights the importance of developing dynamic capabilities to face crises, as well as innovation, in the sense of being ready to face difficult scenarios, showing that companies with developed dynamic capabilities were able to face the crisis more satisfactorily. Finally, through factor analysis in a methodological way, the research refines the relationship between relevant themes (dynamic capacity and innovation) given the empirical-contextual axis (covid-19 crisis).
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The phenomenon called infodemia refers to the increase in the volume of information on a specific topic, which multiplies rapidly in a short period of time, and has stood out in the context of the health crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Too much information can trigger feelings of fear, anxiety, stress, and other conditions of mental distress. The study aims to describe the profile of exposure to information about COVID-19 and its repercussions on the mental health of elderly Brazilians. This is a cross-sectional study carried out with 1924 elderly Brazilians. Data were collected through a web-based survey sent to the elderly via social networks and email, from July to October 2020. The results of the descriptive analysis of the data show that most of the elderly were aged between 60 and 69 years (69.02%), female (71.26%), married (53.79%) and white (75.57%). About 21.67% (n = 417) concluded their graduation, 19.75% (380) concluded their specialization and 16.63% (320) concluded their master's or doctoral degrees. Television 862 (44.80%) and social networks 651 (33.84%) were reported as frequent sources of exposure to news or information about COVID-19. Participants indicated that television (46.47%;n = 872), social networks (30.81%;n = 575) and radio (14.48%;251) affected them psychologically and/or physically. Receiving fake news about COVID-19 on television (n = 482;19.8%) and on social media (n = 415;21.5%) mainly resulted in stress and fear. The disseminated information contributes to awareness, but also affects physically and/or psychologically many elderly people, mainly generating fear and stress. © 2022, Centro Nacional de Informacion de Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.
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Background: As a care tool for the elderly population, caregivers must have knowledge about the prevention of COVID-19 to minimize the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Objective: Describe the process of construction and validation of educational leaflet content for caregivers of the elderly on covid-19 prevention measures. Methods: Methodological study developed in three stages. The first stage corresponds to the literature review;the second involved the construction of the brochure and the last stage was content validation by a committee of twenty-three experts who judged the objectives, structure/presentation and relevance of the brochure from a validated 3-point Likert scale. Items with positive opinions by more than 80.0% were considered adequate. Results: The leaflet was prepared containing six pages, with information on the new coronavirus, forms of transmission, signs and symptoms, protection of the disease, alteration of the routine of daily care, the importance of hand hygiene, surfaces and food;correct use of mask;care for the caregiver or family member;emotional health and how to proceed in case of suspicion of COVID-19. Only one evaluation round was required;the content validity index was 1.0 and the agreement between judges was statistically significant in all domains of the scale (p<0.006). Conclusion: This study provides an educational leaflet with validated content, configuring a capable component to improve the knowledge of caregivers about prevention measures against COVID-19 in the elderly. © 2021 Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto - U.S.P.. All rights reserved.
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Introdução/Objetivo: Infecções Primárias da Corrente Sanguínea (IPCS) associam-se com elevada morbimortalidade em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal (UTIN), e densidade de incidência (DI) de 17,3/1.000 cateter venoso central-dia (CVC-dia). Implementação de bundle de prevenção, através de modelo de melhoria, contribui para reduzir essas infecções. A pandemia COVID-19 exigiu dedicação integral dos profissionais, comprometendo o monitoramento das IPCS e adesão ao bundle de prevenção. O estudo visa determinar a variação na densidade de incidência de IPCS (DI-IPCS) em UTIN de Hospital Universitário de Pernambuco, após implementação de bundle para prevenção, entre abril de 2019 e agosto de 2021, aplicando o Modelo de Melhoria Breakthrough Series Collaborative method - Institute for Healthcare Improvement (BHS-IHI. Métodos: estudo quasi-experimental em UTIN comparando DI-IPCS-2018 (pré-intervenção) com dados 2019-2021 (período pós-intervenção) após implementação de bundle de prevenção (checklist inserção;checklist manutenção) para o CVC. Padronização diagnóstica IPCS, treinamentos para implementação dos bundles, reuniões semanais com ciclos PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) e cálculos da DI, estratificada segundo o peso ao nascer, foram realizados. A variação na DI-IPCS foi analisada em três períodos: A (2018-2019);B (2019-2020) e C (2020-2021). Resultados: No período A, houve redução de DI-IPCS /1.000 CVC-dia para faixas de peso 751-1000g (DI = 28,2 para 7,3);1001-1500g (DI = 15,3 para 8,6);período B (COVID-19 em 2020) houve aumento na DI-IPCS para todas as faixas de peso, exceto RN > 2500g, a saber: < 750g (DI = 0 para 18,4);751-1.000g (DI = 7,3 para 22,92);1001-1500g (DI = 8,65 para 11,5;1501-2500g (DI = 11,8 para 19,0) e > 2500g (DI = 6,7 para 5,2). No período C, após reforço das medidas para prevenção, observou-se zero IPCS para as faixas de peso RN ao nascer < 750g e 1501-2500g e redução para 751-1.000g -DI = 15,87;1001-1500g -DI- = 5,71;> 2500g- DI-5,58. Taxa média de adesão ao bundle de inserção em 2019, 2020 e 2021 foram 75%, 74,3% e 75,3%, respectivamente;e taxa média de adesão 72% para bundle de manutenção (fevereiro, maio e agosto/2021) Conclusões: Obteve-se sucesso na redução de IPCS em UTIN com implementação de bundles para inserção/manutenção do CVC, através de ciclos de melhoria. Eventos de emergência em saúde pública representam um fator potencial para interrupção das boas práticas na assistência, exigindo planejamento de medidas para mitigar esta influência.
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Introduction: Health professionals face higher occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We aimed to estimate the risk of COVID-19 test positivity in health professionals compared to non-health professionals. Methods: We conducted a test-negative case-control study using Portuguese national surveillance data (January to May 2020). Cases were suspected cases who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2;controls were suspected cases who tested negative. We used multivariable logistic regression modelling to estimate the odds ratio of a positive COVID-19 test (RT-PCR;primary outcome), comparing health professionals and non-health professionals (primary exposure), and adjusting for the confounding effect of demographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics, and the modification effect of the self-reported epidemiological link (i.e., self-reported contact with a COVID-19 case or person with COVID-19-like symptoms). Results: Health professionals had a 2-fold higher risk of a positive COVID-19 test result (aOR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.69-2.11). However, this association was strongly modified by the self-report of an epidemiological link such that, among cases who did report an epidemiological link, being a health professional was a protective factor (aOR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.98). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that health professionals might be primarily infected by unknown contacts, plausibly in the healthcare setting, but also that their occupational exposure does not systematically translate into a higher risk of transmission. We suggest that this could be interpreted in light of different types and timing of exposure, and variability in risk perception and associated preventive behaviours.
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Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main cause of acute bronchiolitis. The peak of the infection is historically described in the autumn/winter season. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic seems to have modified the seasonality of some respiratory viruses. The first case of SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosed in Portugal was in March 2020. School closure and the use of masks are some of the pointed reasons for a decreased number of RSV infections observed in the autumn/winter season post the beginning of the pandemic. Interestingly, there are now a few studies from around the globe showing the resurgence of RSV infections in the spring/summer season that followed. Aim: To characterize the population of RSV infected infants admitted to a tertiary hospital before and after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive, study was performed. All the RSV infected infants who were admitted to a Portuguese tertiary hospital from January 2017 to August 2021 were evaluated. The diagnosis of RSV infection was made through polymerase chain reaction of nasal secretions. Data such as age, gender, reason for admission, comorbidities, viral coinfection, bacterial superinfection, oxygen therapy, admission at Intensive Care Unit, ventilatory support and length of hospital stay were analyzed. Results: The data of a total of 354 patients was analyzed. The median age was 4 months (min 9 days, max 4 years), 50% were male. Before the COVID-19 pandemics (between 2017 and 2019), the peak of RSV infections used to occur in the months of December and January (medium of 25 and 28 cases per month, respectively). However, in December 2020 and January 2021 there was no detection of RSV. Nonetheless, a peak of RSV infection was verified in July and August 2021 (18 and 15 cases per month, respectively). The number of patients admitted for non-respiratory motifs, but in whom RSV was detected during the course of hospital stay, increased in 2021 (39%), comparing to 2017 (0%), 2018 (3%), 2019 (8%) or 2020 (3%), p<0,05. The number of viral coinfections was higher in 2021 (50%) comparing to 2017 (29%), 2019 (19%) or 2020 (18%), p<0,05. The patients admitted in 2021 were older (12 months average) than patients admitted in 2017 (5 months average) or 2018 (6 months average), p<0,05. Conclusions: RSV seasonality was modified by the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase of the hospital admissions being registered in the summer of 2021. Our tertiary hospital's numbers reproduce what is being described in other places of the world. Subsequent studies are needed to verify the behavior of RSV infections in the next seasons, to understand if RSV infections are becoming more or less severe and to analyze the impact of SARS-CoV-2 virus on the virulence of RSV.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has had numerous social, political, economic and legal consequences around the world. Among the measures recommended by health authorities is social distancing, a recommendation that significantly affected Brazilian society and economy, with a high rate of informality. The President of the Republic of Brazil, after a period of inertia marked by denial of the seriousness of the disease, issued Provisional Measure 936/2020 containing changes in the scope of Labor Law in order to protect the economy and also the jobs of Brazilians. However, even in the case of an atypical pandemic context that requires exceptional actions, the legal measures adopted must be compatible with the Federal Constitution and with international conventions, especially those ratified by the Brazilian State within the scope of the International Labor Organization. Therefore, all public authorities involved in the elaboration of the necessary measures to face the consequences of the pandemic must carry out the constitutionality and conventionality controls. Thus, the present work discussed the conventionality control through a bibliographical review and through the analysis of the opinion of the Mixed Commission of the National Congress on the Provisional Measure 936/2020. It was verified that such control did not exist in relation to Provisional Measure 936/2020, despite its incompatibility with International Labor Organization conventions ratified by the Brazilian State, a fact capable of giving rise to the international responsibility of Brazil. © 2021 Centro Universitario de Brasilia. All rights reserved.
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Background: The surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal and the implemented public health measures were accompanied with a noticeable decrease in patients' attendance to the Emergency Department (ED). Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Vascular Surgery ED admissions, by comparing clinical and demographic characteristics of patients visiting the ED during the pandemic and the homologous period of 2019. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from patients admitted to the ED of a Portuguese tertiary hospital centre between March 4th and April 1st, 2020 - two weeks before and two weeks after the governmental implementation of the state of emergency in our country due to the COVID-19 pandemic - and the homologous period of 2019. Individual medical records were revised to obtain patients demographics and characteristics, clinical severity under the Manchester Triage System (MTS), final diagnosis, need for hospitalization or emergent/urgent surgery, in-hospital length of stay and mortality within 30 days of hospital discharge. Results: A total of 119 and 210 patients visited the Vascular Surgery ED during the pandemic and the homologous period of 2019, respectively. Males comprised the majority of patients in both years and the proportion of women visiting the ED was lower in 2020 compared to 2019 (P=0.015). The MTS attributed a lower number of high-priority levels (yellow and orange) to patients visiting the ED in 2020 (P=0.048). A higher proportion of patients required in-hospital treatment or emergent/urgent surgery (P<0.001 and P=0.002, respectively) during the pandemic. No differences were observed in in-hospital length of stay and early mortality. The most prevalent diagnosis during this critical period were chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI), deep vein thrombosis, and acute limb ischemia;in 2019, CLTI, non-vascular limb pain and post-operative pain were the dominating diagnosis. Conclusion: We found a 43.3% decrease in the number of visits to the Vascular Surgery ED in the first month after the inaugural diagnosis of COVID-19 in Portugal. There was a significant reduction of patients with high-priority complaints, but those who presented to the ED had more severe and advanced disease, refiected by the increased proportion on hospitalization and emergent/urgent surgery requirements. Fear of infection and mobility limitations imposed by the quarantine may deter patients from attending the ED and delay proper healthcare. Mid to long-term impact of such behaviour on morbimortality should be determined to evaluate the quality of response of healthcare services to the pandemic.
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The year 2020 was marked by the pandemic of Covid-19, a fact that impacted on different aspects of life. The social distancing was one of the ways to contain the pandemic, causing the cessation of face-to-face classes in Brazil, migrating to a remote teaching model. In this reality, this study, which considers remote teaching within the Brazilian social, political, and economic context, aimed to problematize the teaching of Physical Education in the context of remote classes in Brazil, focusing on the work with those considered students of inclusion. It is a qualitative exploratory study, in which interviews with Physical Education teachers were conducted. 116 interviews were carried out through a questionnaire elaborated on the Google platform. The analysis followed the contribution of post-structuralist researches to think about Education, supported by the concepts of governamentality and teaching. From the analysis, two points are brought up for discussion: the practices worked in Physical Education with students of inclusion in remote education, and the idea of teaching crisis in inclusive Physical Education. Thus, it is argued that the lack of contact with students at school and the inequalities in the Brazilian social and economic context can lead to exclusionary practices and contribute to teaching burnout.
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Museums are important instruments for preserving a group's cultural memory and are responsible for its material or immaterial heritage. Furthermore, they participate in the tourism economy and in productive projects that contribute to the quality of life in the communities and regions in which they are located. Thus, in a period marked by the Coronavirus pandemic, with lockdowns going on in various parts of the world, online platforms for cultural consumption have been highlighted as a manner of guaranteeing entertainment and cultural access to the whole population. Thus, the present study aims to present the media impact results for the eMuseum of Sports in Brazilian digital and televised media. To fulfil this goal, the documental analysis technique was used to conduct a survey of the Sports eMuseum's impact through digital data. The internet data was obtained from the social networks Facebook and Instagram and the eMuseum's website, where all of its exhibits are concentrated. These digital communication media possess data analysis metrics that show how a certain post was followed by the public that uses these networks. Between April and October of 2020, the eMuseum of Sports launched 8 3D exhibits and 8 3D Galleries. On observing the gallery and exhibit contents in numbers, there are 184 collections (images or videos) in the exhibits and 560 in the galleries. At the end of this period, the total reach on the eMuseum's social networks arrived at the expressive number of almost 4 million and 300 thousand people impacted by the content that was created and organized by the eMuseum. The conclusion is that the eMuseum of Sports had a significant media coverage and allowed content to be accessed, strengthening the democratization of various sports content at a moment when other forms of in-person visitation would not be possible.
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COVID-19, although a respiratory illness, has been clinically associated with non-respiratory symptoms. We conducted a negative case-control study to identify the symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2-positive results in Portugal. Twelve symptoms and signs included in the clinical notification of COVID-19 were selected as predictors, and the dependent variable was the RT-PCR test result. The χ2 tests were used to compare notified cases on sex, age group, health region and presence of comorbidities. The best-fit prediction model was selected using a backward stepwise method with an unconditional logistic regression. General and gastrointestinal symptoms were strongly associated with a positive test (P < 0.001). In this sense, the inclusion of general symptoms such as myalgia, headache and fatigue, as well as diarrhoea, together with actual clinical criteria for suspected cases, already updated and included in COVID-19 case definition, can lead to increased identification of cases and represent an effective strength for transmission control.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/virology , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , COVID-19/epidemiology , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Portugal/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
In the present work, we propose and validate a Common Criteria Standard Protection Profile (sPP) for videoconferencing equipment. The research presents the definition and analysis of the homologation system used to validate the standard protection profile, focusing on its application focused in a large Brazilian financial company. We address the main points to consider in the acquisition and current use of this product: reasonable information security assumptions, technical standards, recommendations, and international best cybersecurity practices. As a result, we have developed a Standard Protection Profile identifying the information security risks involved and the minimum parameters required in those systems acquired and used for Government environments. This paper also presents all tests performed to validate the proposed sPP. As the application is critical, involving sensitive data, our results can also foster less risky conditions in the myriad situations caused by the COVID pandemic. CCBY
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Background/Case Studies: In the past months, convalescent plasma (CP) has been used as an alternative therapy to treat COVID-19 patients. Previous studies highlighted the role of neutralizing antibody titers (NAbs) on clinical improvements. We analysed a series of cases of COVID patients treated with CP transfusion and associations between transfused NAbs and patient NAbs on respiratory outcomes. Study Design/Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 by RT PCR and severe pneumonia were prospectively analysed at a single center in Brazil. Doses of 300-600ml of CP were transfused. To assess respiratory outcomes, PaO2/FiO2 ratios were determined at Day 0 (day of CP transfusion), Day 5 and by discharge and duration of ventilation support were analysed. Improvements were determined by variations of PaO2/ FiO2 ratios from Day 0 through day 5 (V0-5) and from Day 0 through discharge (V0-D). Neutralizing antibodies from patients prior to transfusion (NAbsP) and neutralizing antibodies of CP units transfused (NAbsCP) were analysed. NAbsCP considers the total amount of antibodies transfused to account for volume differences. We performed a generalized estimating equations (GEE) approach with logit link for binary data to model the effect of Nabs CP and variations on PaO2/FiO2 ratios between Day 0-Day 5 and Day 0-discharge. Regression models were performed to determine the predictive variables associated to improvements on PaO2/FiO2 ratios and duration of ventilation support. Results/Findings: Variations of PaO2/FiO2 ratios from day 0 through Day 5 and day 0 through discharge are displayed on Table 1. Significant improvements on PaO2/ FiO2 ratios were observed from Day 0 through discharge (p<0.001). NAbsP were associated to higher improvements on PaO2/FiO2 on V0-D (mean difference (MD)): 2.8 CI 95% -1.0-4.6 p 0.003), NAbsCP, however, were associated to minor variations in PaO2/FiO2 (MD -4.8 CI95% -7.9;-1.7 p 0.002) on the same interval. At each 100 unit increase in NAbs CP, variations on PaO2/FiO2 on V0-D were expected to be 4.8 units lower. When analysing V0-5, NAbsCP were again associated to minor improvements of PaO2/FiO2 ratios from D0 through D5 (MD -3.6 95%CI -7.2;-0.003 p 0.05). Other variables did not show statistical significance. When considering duration of ventilation support neither NabsP (Mean Ratio MR 0.985 CI 95% 0.962-1.007 p 0.185) nor NAbsCP (MR 0.967 CI95% 0.918 1.018 p 0.198) showed significant statistical differences. Conclusions: In our analysis, NAbs produced from the patient prior to CP transfusion are associated to better improvements on respiratory outcomes when compared to NAbs from transfused units. Regarding duration of mechanical ventilation, neither NAbsP nor Nabs CP had impact on outcomes.
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Background/Case Studies: Convalescent plasma (CP) has emerged in the past months as an alternative treatment for COVID-19. We prospectively analysed the outcomes of critically ill COVID-19 patients treated with CP in order to investigate predictive factors of intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay at a single center in Brazil. Study Design/Methods: Thirty COVID-19 patients laboratory-confirmed by RTPCR with severe pneumonia were recruited at a single center in Brazil. Doses of 300-600ml of CP were administered. Primary outcomes were ICU length of stay and duration of mechanical ventilation support.The following variables were analysed: Severity organ failure assessment score(SOFA) at day 0 (day of CP transfusion), patient ABO blood group, concomitant use of any other therapies (hydroxychloroquine, azythromicin, tocilizumab, immunoglobulin), neutralizing antibody titers of the patients prior to transfusion (NAbsP) and total titers of neutralizing antibody from CP units transfused (NAbsCP). NAbsCP considers the total amount of antibodies transfused to account for volume differences. Multivariate logistic regression was performed. Results/Findings: In our case series, SOFA at day 0, ABO group, and both NAbs P and NAbsCP were predictive factors of ICU length of stay. At each point increased in SOFA, ICU length of stay was 38.7% longer (MR: 1.387 CI 95% 1.254-1.534, p<0.001). Group A had36.1% longer ICU length of stay (MR: 0.639 CI 95% 0.417-0.980, p 0.04). Increases of 100 units in NAbsP resulted in 1% reduction of ICU lenght of stay (MR 0.990 CI 95% 0.982-0.998, p 0.017). Similar results were obtained with NAbs-CP, with 2% reduction in ICU length of stay (MR 0.980 CI95% 0.968-0.993, p 0.002) at each 100 unit increase. Use of other therapies did not influence ICU lenght of stay (p 0.373). We perform the same analysis for duration of mechanical ventilation support, and all the variables failed to demonstrate any association Conclusions: Our findings suggest that severity of disease prior to transfusion, ABO group, patient capacity to produce neutralizing antibodies and transfusion of CP with high titer NAbs are significant predictive factors for ICU length of stay. High titer NAbs CP may add benefit to these patients. No association was found between these same variables and duration of mechanical ventilation.
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Background/Case Studies: We describe the COVID- 19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP) program from two Brazilian hospitals for treatment of severe/critical patients Study Design/Methods: Mild/moderate COVID-19 convalescents were selected as CCP donors after RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and absence of symptoms for ≥14 days plus: 1) age (18-60yrs), body weight >55kg;2) immunohematological studies;3) no infectious markers of HBV, HCV, HIV, HTLV1-2, Chagas and syphilis infection;4) no HLA antibodies (multiparous);5) Second RT-PCR (nasopharyngeal swab and/or blood) negativity;6) virus neutralization test (CPE-based VNT nAb) and anti-nucleocapsid (NP) SARS-CoV-2 IgM, IgG and IgA ELISAs. Results/Findings: Among 271 donors (41 females, 230 males), 250 presented with nAb. Final RT-PCR was negative on swab (77.0%) or blood (88.4%;p= 0.46). Final definition of RT-PCR was only defined at>28days after full recovery in 59/174 (33.9%) RT-PCR-ve, and 25/69 RT-PCR+ve (36.2%;13 between 35-48 days). NAb titers ≥160 was found in 63.6%. Correlation between IgG signal/ cut-off ≥5.0 and nAb ≥160 was 82.4%. Combination of final RT-PCR-ve with nAb ≥160 was 41.3% (112/271). Serial plasma collection showed decline in nAb titers and IgA levels (p<0.05), probably denoting a “golden period” for CCP collection (≤ 28 days after joining the program);IgA might have an important role as nAb. Donor's weight, days between disease onset and serial plasma collection, IgG and IgM levels are important predictors for nAb titer. Conclusions: RT-PCR+ve cases are still detected in 36.2% within 28-48 days after recovery. High anti-NP IgG levels may be used as surrogate marker to nAb.