Self-medication among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative analysis of different faculties

Self-medication is a widespread public health concern. University students are likely to be more prone to it since self-medication rates increase with educational level. Studies have shown that self-medication rates vary among academics belonging to different faculties, and medical students have the highest self-medication rates. However, it is unknown whether this holds in a vulnerable situation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also unknown whether differences in technical knowledge of drugs influence self-medication rates among students. Thus, this study analyzes and compares prophylactic self-medication among graduate students of different faculties in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a private university in southern Brazil. Students from the medicine, law, life sciences, and fine arts faculties were surveyed, and their responses were compared using a chi-square test. Among 396 respondents, 29.5% reported using preventive medication for COVID-19, and medical students were the least likely to do so. The self-medication rate was 13.6% among respondents, and self-medication did not differ significantly between students of different faculties. Of the students who self-medicated 63% reported having studied the medication before using them. Furthermore, the media did not induce drug use among 81.8% respondents. These results show that medical students used fewer preventive medications during the pandemic and refute the assertion that self-medication rates are higher among medical students. They also show that self-medication rates during the pandemic were significantly lower than those before the pandemic. These revelations show a new aspect of self-medication.Copyright © 2021 Muslim OT et al.

The COVID-19 vaccine on Facebook: A study of emotions expressed by the Brazilian public

Vaccines are an essential public health resource for disease containment and reduction of associated mortality rates. With the emergence of COVID-19, public debates on the themes of vaccines and vaccination processes became important topics on diverse media and social networking platforms. In this article, our objective was to identify and reflect on the emotions evoked in the Brazilian public with respect to the COVID-19 vaccine during 2020 and 2021 on Facebook. To achieve this, we used the Crowdtangle graphical interface to extract complete copies of posts made by public Facebook profiles during this timeframe, from which a random sample of 1,067 posts was selected for analysis. Identification of emotions was performed using the Human-Machine Interaction Network on Emotion (HUMAINE) descriptors as a baseline reference. Emotions were then grouped into categories following Core Affect Model guidelines. Data analysis and interpretation indicated a prevalence of positive emotions such as trust, interest, and hope directed toward vaccines in the Brazilian domestic scenario. Negative emotions such as worry and disapproval were also expressed, albeit in reference to contextual issues (for example, the spread of COVID-19, delays in vaccine access, and the emergence of new variants) and public figures, such as the President of Brazil. © COMUNICAR, 76 (2023-3)

Pandemic Produce: Impacts of COVID-19 on Florida's Fruit and Vegetable Industries

Florida has one of the most diverse agricultural economies in the United States, producing several dozen types of fruits and vegetables that are consumed within the state, across the country, and around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting policy responses occurred during the peak of spring harvest season for many crops in Florida, abruptly removing market demand from the food service industry and shifting consumer purchasing habits, which enabled insights into several aspects of the fruit and vegetable supply chain. This article examines how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted fruit and vegetable industries in Florida, how these industries responded to COVID-19 impacts, and how Florida's experience compared to that of other states. Data are derived from several sources including a statewide survey that measured agricultural production losses in Florida resulting from COVID-19 in early 2020, interviews with Florida operations that provided insights into how the pandemic induced change across the food supply chain, and a survey of food supply chain operations in three regions of the United States conducted in 2021. © 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.

Changes in Assistance and Care in the Pregnancy-Puerperal Cycle in Times of Coronavirus

Objective: to know the specific procedures and care provided to pregnant women, puerperal women and newborns in times of a pandemic and to analyze changes in prenatal care, labor, delivery and the postpartum period during the coronavirus pandemic. Methods: this is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study involving 26 women. The interviews were conducted via the Google Forms platform, with closed and open questions. Results: Two categories emerged from the study: 1) Influence of social isolation on the emergence of mental disorders;2) Adaptations with loss of sexual and reproductive, social and labor rights. Conclusion: mental health and sexual and reproductive, social and labor rights were shown to be more vulnerable in women who experienced pregnancy and postpartum in the coronavirus pandemic.

Climate Change and Transmissible Diseases

Infectious diseases may be the result of either pathogen increasing frequency of transmission within a given population or expansion of pathogen host range alongside with the increasing of its geographical distribution. Vector transmitted new pathogens may emerge driven by environmental factors and hazards such as droughts, floods, wildfires, or heatwaves, which are foreseen to become more frequent due to climate change. Environmental factors and hazards may be the cause in the change of vectors' geographical distribution or its increase within a particular geographical area. Infectious agents that may cross species and environmental barriers are climate sensitive therefore, its study is important. Human health is tightly connected to the health of animals and the environment. Animal feed, human nutrition, animal and human health are closely linked with water contamination, air pollution and the loss of biodiversity. The way climate change, as well as other health determinants, affects host defences and viral pathogenesis deserves scientific research and governments and stakeholders' attention to support preparedness plans and capacity of health systems to face emergence infection diseases. This chapter presents a state-of-the-art of the interactions of climate change effects on transmissible diseases based on (1) authors previous experience and knowledge on the subjects hereby addressed;(2) information from several institutional sources such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the European Commission of the European Union and The Lancet Countdown;and (3) an oriented search for scientific publications using the criteria described below. Authors analysed publications in Web of Science and PubMed databases choosing title//keywords screening (and full-text when necessary) and using the keywords: "Climate changes”;"Infectious diseases”, "SARS-CoV-2”, "Transmissible diseases”. Detailed information was extracted from the selected papers and the institutional sources based on full-text screening. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Pathogenesis and Immune Status in COVID-19 Pneumonia-A Minireview

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which was isolated in January 2020, emerged as a result of natural evolution and has already infected millions of people around the world due to its extensive human-to-human transmission capacity. Highlighting the clinical manifestations, pathology and immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 infection process, this review study was con-ducted through a comprehensive bibliographic search of academic papers that are available online at the following databases Science Direct, Pub Med, ACS Publications, Nature, BioRxiv and Me-dRxiv. According to the analyzed works, people infected with SARS-CoV-2 may display fever and dry cough as the main clinical symptoms and they may also present breathing difficulty, muscle pain (myalgia), chills, lack of appetite, fatigue, sore throat, altered consciousness, diarrhea, vomit-ing, nasal discharge and syncope. When considering the immune status of patients with COVID-19, it is highlighted that hypercytokinemia contributes to the severity that can even result in death. Lymphopenia is the most frequent prognosis described in cases of COVID-19. Thus, a de-tailed understanding of the specific inflammatory pathways that result in the pathology of COVID-19 is crucial for the immediate development of clinical therapeutic approaches.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

Brazil and the "Bolsonaro Phenomenon”: Politics, the Economy, and the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2019–2020

From a document corpus taken from leading journals recording the discourses and actions of President Jair Bolsonaro and his team in managing the economy, politics, and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more than clear that this administration refuses to play by the rules of the democratic game. There is a close relationship between the authoritarian administration and the naturalization of a logic that prioritizes market interests above all, producing an ultra-neoliberalism that not only operates within the economic and financial sphere but also produces antidemocratic modes of social subjectivity. Segundo um corpus de documentos proveniente dos jornais principais que registravam os discursos e ações do Presidente Jair Bolsonaro e seu equipe com respeito a sua gerência da economia, da polítca e da pandemia do COVID-19, fica muito claro que este governo se recusa a cumprir as regras do jogo democrático. Ademais, existe uma relação íntima entre o governo autoritário e a uniformização de uma lógica que prioriza os interesses do mercado sobre todo, produzindo um ultra-neoliberalismo que não somente opera dentro da esféra econômica e financeira mas também gera modos antidemocráticos de subjetividade social. © 2023 Latin American Perspectives.

Avaliacao Por Citometria De Fluxo De Celulas No Sangue Periferico De Gestantes E Puerperas Com Suspeita De Covid-19

A resposta imune a infeccao por SARS-CoV-2 durante o periodo gravidico puerperal e as alteracoes que podem aumentar o risco de complicacoes maternas, fetais e neonatais ainda nao sao bem caracterizadas. Para isso, foram determinados, atraves de citometria de fluxo, niveis perifericos de linfocitos T-totais (CD3+), T-auxiliar (CD3+/CD4+), T-citotoxico (CD3+/CD8+), linfocitos B (CD19+), celulas NK (CD16+/56+) e NKT (CD3+/CD16-56+) em gestantes e puerperas com suspeita de COVID-19 com o objetivo de identificar potenciais alteracoes imunologicas induzidas pelo coronavirus. Foram utilizadas amostras de sangue periferico de mulheres que realizaram RT-PCR para COVID-19 entre maio de 2021 e marco de 2022. As amostras foram coletadas em tres maternidades publicas do Rio Grande do Norte na admissao para parto e no puerperio imediato nos casos suspeitos. O sangue foi coletado em tubos contendo EDTA para a realizacao da citometria de fluxo, utilizando o analisador de fluorescencia celular ativado (FACScan) e o software Cell Quest. Os linfocitos foram identificados por alta expressao de CD45 e baixa dispersao lateral, utilizando as seguintes combinacoes de 3 cores de anticorpo monoclonal: isotiocianato de uoresceina (FITC), ficoeritrina (PE) e Proteina Clorofila Piridina (PerCP). Cinquenta mulheres precisaram realizar o RT-PCR e 32 (64%) testaram positivo para COVID-19. Gestantes e puerperas infectadas pelo SARS-CoV-2 apresentaram niveis elevados de celulas T citotoxicas, mediana (ME) = 495,0;intervalo interquartil (IIQ) = 391,5, quando comparadas com pacientes nao infectadas, ME=356,2;IIQ=297,8;p=0.032. Com relacao a quantidade das celulas NK, ME=159,1;IIQ=220,4, e dos linfocitos B, ME=126,7;IIQ=186.4, as contagens foram significativamente mais baixas no grupo com menos de 30 dias de infeccao, em comparacao com o grupo em que o RT-PCR foi negativo, ME=280,8;IIQ=214,9;p=0,021 e ME=323,9;IIQ=365,5;p=0,045, respectivamente. Gestantes e puerperas com COVID-19 apresentam maior numero de linfocitos T citotoxicos no sangue periferico e menor numero de celulas NK e linfocitos B. Considerando que gravidez e pos-parto alteram fisiologicamente o sistema imunologico e que esse estudo transversal nao permite analisar causalidade entre infeccao e alteracoes celulares, mais estudos sao necessarios para elucidar as alteracoes causadas pela COVID-19 no sistema imunologico durante o periodo gravidico puerperal, para confirmar se a infeccao viral compromete a imunidade, aumentando o risco de complicacoes para o binomio mae-feto. Declaramos que nao houve apoio financeiro e (ou) material recebido para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho. Copyright © 2022

Performance Expectation, Anxiety, and Motivation of Triathletes and Swimmers during Different Lockdowns Stages in Covid-19 Pandemic

Oliveira GT, Meireles A, Hudson TA, Soares ER, Souza HLR, Santos MP, Mauad FO, Nascimento BF, Marocolo M, Ferreira RM. Performance Expectation, Anxiety, and Motivation of Triathletes and Swimmers during Different Lockdowns Stages in Covid-19 Pandemic. JEPonline 2022;25(4):75-83. The purpose of this study was to analyze the levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and the motivation to return to training and competitions according to sex, sports experience, and training status before and during the isolation of swimmers and triathletes. We used the structured questionnaires Sports Motivation Scale 2 and the Three-Factor Anxiety Inventory 2, and a semi-structured questionnaire containing questions related to age and sex, in addition to a set of general information about their sports practice, such as the level of experience, the number of training sessions per week, and the competitive level and training sessions before and during restriction. A significant difference was observed in the dimensions of anxiety in public autofocus and autonomic hyperactivity between sex during swimming, intrinsic motivation, and identified between modalities and perceived control between sex and between modalities. In general, there was no association between anxiety and motivation and sports level, modality, and sex of the athletes. © 2022,Journal of Exercise Physiology Online. All Rights Reserved.

Government actions for COVID-19 control and prevention in prisons: a scoping review

This is a scoping review of the literature on actions taken by countries during 2020 regarding the care for people living in the prison environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. We selected 54 publications for data mining and found data from 45 countries, which were orga-nized into categories. Most of the literature ad-dressed strategies adopted by countries with ad-vanced economies. All of them mentioned some strategies to reduce viral transmission - the major ones were restricted/suspended family visits and desincarceration - and interventions to improve infrastructures in prisons, the provision of a tele-phone or other devices for calls or video calls being the most mentioned. Policies to mitigate the effects of the epidemic and interventions were found in publications referencing 33 countries, with the main focus on keeping family contact and reviewing the public safety policy. Concerning governance policies, measures from 11 countries were reported, and the most cited was national authority reinforcement. This study highlights the need for research on the success of each strategy and the differences among those countries. Copyright © 2022, Associacao Brasileira de Pos - Graduacao em Saude Coletiva. All rights reserved.

1-year mortality after myocardial injury in COVID-19 patients

Background: Myocardial injury is a known complication of COVID-19 and is related to a worse prognosis on admission. However, its impact on 1-year mortality is unknown. Methods: Retrospective cohort study with patients admitted to intensive care and confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 by RT-PCR and with at least one measurement of troponin during hospitalization. The study period was from March/2020 to June/2021. Clinical characteristics and the occurrence of myocardial were assessed between deaths and survivors using the chi-square test and Student's t-test. Variables with p<0.01 in the univariate analysis were included in the Cox regression model to identify predictor variables of 1-year mortality. Results: 1037 patients were included, with a mean follow-up of 1.06±0.58 years, mean age = 59.9±16.2 years, and 62.7% men. The prevalence of myocardial injury was 42.8% and occurred 204 deaths (19.7%). In the univariate analysis, the variables associated with 1-year mortality were: myocardial injury (OR 7.5;CI95% 5.2–10.9), age >60 years (OR 5.65;CI95% 3.9–8.2), arterial hypertension (OR 2.8;CI95% 2.0–3.9), diabetes (OR 2.3;CI95% 1.6–3.1), chronic kidney failure (OR 3.9;CI95% 2.2–6.8), dementia (OR 1.8;CI95% 1.2–2.6) and mechanical ventilation (OR 50.5;CI95% 33.9–77.3). In Cox regression, the predictor variables were: myocardial injury (HR 2.4;CI95% 1.7–3.5), age >60 years (HR 2.5;CI95% 1.8–3.6), chronic kidney disease (HR 1.9;CI95% 1.2–2.9), dementia (HR 3.2;CI95% 2.1–5.0) and mechanical ventilation (HR 17.5;CI95% 12.2–25.2). Conclusion: In patients admitted to intensive care by COVID-19, the detection of myocardial injury more than doubled the risk of death in 1 year. Funding Acknowledgement: Type of funding sources: None.Figure 1

Effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the psychic and behavioral aspects of athletes: a systematic review

The Covid-19 Pandemic has caused several high-performance sports activities to be suspended around the world. It is estimated that the obstruction of athletes' training, competitions and employment contracts have generated uncertainties and insecurities regarding the future of their careers. The objective of the present review is then to analyze the effects of the Pandemic on the psychic and behavioral dimensions of income athletes. The databases used for the review were PubMed, VHL, Scopus and Web of Science. A total of 1,116 articles were found, of which 33 were selected using the PRISMA approach. The quality of the articles was obtained by applying the CASP scale. The following results were obtained: 1) symptoms of anxiety, depression, fear, bad mood, insomnia, eating disorders, lack of optimism and lack of motivation to train affected the athletes;2) demographic, age, gender, practice time and alternative training conditions influenced athletes' behaviors and emotional content during the pandemic;3) social support, resilience and emotional intelligence proved to be elements of attenuation of negative emotions and behaviors. It is concluded that the Covid-19 pandemic can be a negative predictor in the behavioral and psychic reactions of high performance athletes and these effects are influenced by age, gender, type of modality and the quality of the alternative training programs proposed.

Early Single-Center Experience With Meril's Myval Transcatheter Heart Valve

Background: TAVR has emerged as a revolutionary treatment for patients with symptomatic and severe AS, irrespective of surgical-risk profile. Novel transcatheter heart valves (THV) with a lower profile, ease of use and expected longer durability are being developed to target younger and low-risk population. Myval is a 14Fr-balloon expandable THV with a skirt to minimize the occurrence of paravalvular leak (PVL), and has been recently approved for commercial use in Brazil. We sought to report our initial experience with this novel device. Methods: Single-center, single arm, open label prospective registry encompassing all consecutive patients referred to TAVR in our Institution between December 2020 and November 2021. Indication for TAVR was according to current international guidelines. Clinical and echocardiographic outcomes were defined accordingly to VARC-III criteria. Results: A total of 39 patients were enrolled so far. Mean age was 79.5 years, 42% were female and mean STS score was 4%. Pre-procedures mean gradient and aortic valve area were 53.3 mmHg and 0.7cm2, respectively. All procedures were performed under minimalist approach using percutaneous, femoral access. Two patients were treated for bicuspid aortic stenosis and four patients underwent a valve-in-valve procedure. Procedure success was achieved in 100% of the cases, and post-procedure echocardiogram revealed a mean residual gradient of 5 mmHg, with PVL greater than mild in a single case. Permanent pacemaker was required in only 2 patients, and mean hospital stay was 3.1 days. At 30-days, there were two deaths, one due to COVID in a patient who presented major access bleeding requiring prolonged hospital stay, and another one a cardiovascular death. Conclusion: In our initial experience with the Myval THV, valve performance and 30-day clinical results were encouraging. Low rates of complications were observed, comparable to the best last-generation THV. At the time of the meeting, three-month clinical and echocardiographic FU will be available.

THE DYNAMICS OF IMPORTS IN SOUTH OF MINAS GERAIS CITIES: AN APPROACH IN THE PERIOD FROM 2019 TO 2020

The work deals with imports carried out in the period 2019 and 2020 from the main highlights cities in the south of Minas Gerais and seeks to understand the behavior of each one of them in the years studied, especially considering the Covid-19 pandemic installed worldwide as of December 2019 with more direct impacts in Brazil after the first cases were identified in the country. The purpose of the research is to identify the imported volume, values and main goods ordered according to the section of the tax classification of the products. Based on secondary data provided by the Ministry of Economy, the ten largest importing cities in the state of Minas Gerais were identified, denoting the cities of Extrema, Varginha and Poços de Caldas, located in the south of the state of Minas Gerais. Such municipalities were present in the two years of the study. The theoretical framework encompasses international trade, trade balance and a brief history of the pandemic. Based on data collected from government sources, a comparative study of the volume imported in FOB value (US$), net kilogram (KG) and imported goods grouped by sections is presented. The study first showed a drop in imports from cities due to the pandemic, but without interruption in the international commercial relationship and with rapid reaction in some of them. © 2021, Centro Universitario Curitiba - UNICURITIBA. All rights reserved.

THE CONSTITUTIONALIZATION OF CIVIL LAW IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC: A REFLECTION ON PLEDGE OF GUARANTOR?S FAMILY PROPERTY IN RENT CONTRACTS

This research analyzes the pledge of the family property of the guarantor of a residential property rental contract from the process of constitutionalization of Civil Law in the scenario generated by the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. In order to study the possibilities that the Brazilian legal system provides to give a new interpretation to the protection of the guarantor's right to housing in the light of the provisions contained in Law 14.010 of 2020, which deals with the Emergency and Transitional Legal Regime of Private Law legal relations (RJET) in the coronavirus pandemic period. This knowledge was operationalized through a systematic review of the literature of jurisprudential and legislative research. A hermeneutic triangulation between the right to housing, human dignity and equality was carried out in order to interpret the institutions of private law in the context of the process of constitutionalization of Civil Law. A preliminary result is that in times of exception it is necessary to interpret the law with a view to conferring protection and preservation of constitutionally enshrined fundamental rights.

Digital Technologies Adoption to Face COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Approach

The biggest public health emergency of the 21st century, COVID-19, a disease caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, has challenged health systems on a global scale. In this pandemic scenario, digital technologies show themselves as alternatives to fight the disease. Therefore, this article aimed to map the application of digital technologies in the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, an exploratory study was developed, with a qualitative approach and through the application of bibliographical research based on a systematic review. The mapping and discussion of the application of strategies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution in actions to combat SARS-CoV-2 pointed to Augmented Reality, Additive Manufacturing, Collaborative Robots, Big Data Analytics, and Internet of Things as enablers to prevent, detect, and manage COVID-19 disease, promoting telehealth, intelligent tracking of infected individuals, real-time medical data sharing, rapid prototyping of critical devices, among others. Reports in the literature suggest the importance of a robust technological apparatus to face this sanitary challenge, which should be one of the focuses for the development of new public policies. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Revision of the 5G Concept Rollout and Its Application in Smart Cities: A Study Case in South America

This work aims to address and emphasize the importance of the fifth-generation mobile networks (5G) rollout in the smart cities, focusing on the South American countries and bringing a theoretical analysis about the implementation in each country from the perspective of the national regulatory agencies, as well as the significance of this system for the future of the countries with the benefits expected for the 5G networks and their application in the smart cities. It was made a bibliographic review of the involved technical concepts and a collection of information from the regulatory agencies and telecommunication companies of all the countries and one French territory of South America, aiming to identify in which stage of roadmap implementation each country is, considering that many countries in other continents (e.g., South Korea and the USA) already have an implemented and functional 5G architecture. The whole region suffered a delay due to COVID-19, but all the studied countries already have or are creating the required standards for an implementation that follows the international guidelines, which shows that, though they are not as evolved as other countries, their rulers and administrators are concerned about this global trend. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Maternal knowledge about childcare during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative approach

Objective: to describe maternal knowledge about childcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: descriptive field research with a qualitative approach, carried out with 30 mothers of young children aged between zero and 24 months. Participants were selected at home, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed and interpreted through content analysis. Results: 4 categories were created: Mothers’ knowledge about childcare;Childcare appointments in times of the COVID-19 pandemic;Surveillance of child development from the perspective of mothers;Mothers’ knowledge about the assessment of infant developmental milestones. Conclusion: poor communication between health providers and mothers, limited knowledge of mothers in relation to child development and because of the pandemic were revealed, and mothers are afraid to take children for child developmental follow-up. © 2022. Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing.All Rights Reserved

Im/migrant Children's Education Experiences and Families' Sacrifices in a Global Pandemic

Family separation policies' impacts on children's education and well-being are critical issues of our time. This paper argues through ethnographic study that although im/migrant parents believed in the promise of a better life for their children as they migrated, COVID-19 and remote schooling contributed to a breakdown in structures of care once they were in the United States. Thus, the experience of remote schooling during 2020 was a difficult task for parents and children who were already dealing with the trauma of detention or separation at the border. Ultimately, we argue that to understand the educational experiences of im/migrant parents and children in the United States, we must consider a multiple disruptions framework. The findings in this article reveal the layered consequences that broader immigration policy has on the everyday educational lives of im/migrant children and their parents.