Research of addition of N95 facial mask fibers, silica fume and marble powder in high performance mortar

The coronavirus pandemic, in addition to the global health crisis, shows damage to the environment due to the high number of disposable face masks, making it necessary to develop research to minimize the environmental risks associated with personal protective equipment used by the population. This research aims to reduce the waste generated by the pandemic, taking advantage of face masks, inserting them in the manufacture of mortars. Processing (grinding) of the masks was carried out and their inclusion in contents of 1.4% and 2.0% in relation to the cement consumption. The products were compared to a reference mix and evaluated for physical and mechanical properties. As a result, it was found that the addition of mask fibers resulting an increase in the water absorption rate, as well as reductions in diametral compression strength and compressive strength, respectively 30% and 50%, due to failures in the matrix/fiber interaction, which may limit the use of the mixture. However, this research contributes to the Brazilian agenda regarding sustainable urban, regional, and national development, through multidisciplinary and innovative approaches, enabling the reduction of environmental degradation by discarding masks and the making of new materials to be employees in the construction sector.

comparative effectiveness of remotely delivered biopsychosocial interventions for the treatment of osteoarthritic pain. A network meta - analysis

Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) can cause pain, discomfort, stiffness and progressively limit your ability to perform everyday tasks. Currently, there is no cure for OA, hence most patients experience chronic pain. Evidence suggests a shared mechanism between chronic pain and mental disorders. Patients living with OA- related chronic pain and depression have complex needs due to high rates of persistent physical and mental health symptoms, issues around inadequate pain relief, risks with opioid use, frequent lack of access to primary care, 80% unemployment rates, and complicated family/social relationships. Thus, they require physical, cognitive, and social treatments delivered by a multidisciplinary team that integrates physical and mental health approaches. The pandemic posed a major challenge for patients with osteoarthritis. Public health measures postponed non-emergency in-person treatment programs. People suffering from osteoarthritis are typically older which makes them more vulnerable to SARS-COV-2 infection. Telemedicine is a method that enables remote or virtual appointments between patients and health care practitioner. While remote care offers a wide range of benefits it is unclear if these interventions can provide similar effects with face-to-face care. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of remote biopsychosocial interventions in comparison to sham, traditional, or alternative remote treatments in patients with osteoarthritic pain and mental health symptoms using a network meta-analysis approach. Method(s): Eligible studies were randomized trials of remote biopsychosocial interventions that included at least one treatment arm provided remotely/virtually and compared to an alternative (sham, non-intervention, face-to-face treatment or alternative virtual/remote intervention). Patients had OA-related chronic musculoskeletal pain and at least 60% of participants had a mental health comorbidity or the analysis was disaggregated by mental health comorbidity. The primary outcome of interest was pain intensity at 12-weeks follow-up. Secondary outcomes were depression levels, dropouts/withdrawals and any adverse or serious adverse events reported. Potential mediators extracted were patient characteristics such as mean age, sex/gender and duration of symptoms/follow-up. We extracted data from the closest timepoint to 12-weeks follow-up for all outcomes. We critically appraised the included trials with the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Effect estimates were presented as standardized mean differences (SMD) and were comparisons between remote interventions and wait-list control. For all estimates, we reported the medians with corresponding 95% credibility intervals (CrIs) from the 2.5th and 97.5th percentile of the posterior distribution. The prespecified minimal clinically important between-group difference was -0.37 SD units. We estimated the probability of the effect of remote interventions of being superior to facilitate the interpretation of estimated treatment effects. We used a Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis model. Analysis was conducted with OpenBUGS and STATA 16.0. Result(s): Overall, 21 trials with 4,426 patients with OA were included in this network meta-analysis. We identified 11 different interventions (combination or alone) such as usual care, exercise, education, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) guided or unguided delivered in different remote formats (internet, tele, mobile application or face-to-face). At 12-weeks follow-up, internet-delivered exercise (SMD -0.25, 95%Crl -0.59 to -0.09), Tele-CBT (SMD -0.22, 95%Crl -0.56 to 0.12) and a combination of Tele-CBT with education plus exercise (SMD -0.25, 95%Crl -0.66 to 0.15) had more pronounced treatment effects on pain reduction compared to wait-list control and 94%, 92% and 90% probability of being superior (respectively). For depression outcomes, a combination of tele-CBT with education plus exercise, had more pronounced treatment effects (SMD -0.31 95%Crl -1.16 to 0.53) when compared to wait-list-control and 86% pr bability of being superior. Conclusion(s): Internet-delivered exercise, Tele-CBT, and a combination of Tele-CBT with education plus exercise displayed higher probability of being superior than the other interventions, and had more pronounced effects in reducing pain intensity and depression levels when compared to wait-list control. However, none of these interventions excluded the null threshold.Copyright © 2023

Food Security and Nutrition in Mexico During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Systematic Review.

Introduction: The food security and nutrition of individuals was affected due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Increased food insecurity limits individuals from having a full and dignified quality of life. Objective(s): To assess the access and availability of food security in the Mexican population affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico through a literature review. Methodology: Literature review in databases such as: PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, FAO, UN, ENSANUT, Salud Publica de Mexico and CONACYT. The search for information was carried out from November 2021 to May 2022, considering articles published from March 2020 and in relation to the health contingency period. A search equation was used for the search and, in addition, the methodological evaluation of Munns et al. was applied. Articles in Spanish and English were included, with content referring to Mexico. Result(s): A total of 274 articles were identified in databases;based on the eligibility criteria, surveys and/or articles on nutrition, food security and lifestyle during the pandemic in Mexico were considered. Articles were excluded for having another study design (2), title (100), abstract (82), non-relevant information (54) and (9) for full text, because they did not meet the proposed characteristics. Finally, 10 articles were selected for the literature review. With this, the data showed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused diverse affectations in the Mexican territory, this was evidenced after an increase in food insecurity and changes in lifestyle. Conclusion(s): Food security and nutrition of individuals were affected in the Mexican population, due to economic issues, changes in dietary patterns, as well as job losses and loss of income.Copyright © 2022 Asociacion Espanola de Dietistas-Nutricionistas. All rights reserved.

Perfil Epidemiologico De Pacientes Com Doencas Neurologicas Submetidos a Plasmaferese Em 5 Hospitais De Sao Paulo

Introducao: O procedimento de plasmaferese tem como objetivo remover do sangue substancias patologicas. A primeira descricao de seu uso terapeutico ocorreu em 1952 em um paciente diagnosticado com Macroglobulinemia de Waldestrom. Desde entao, a plasmaferese tem sido empregada em diversas doencas, dentre essas, doencas neurologicas de etiologia imune. De acordo com o guideline da Sociedade Americana de Aferese (ASF), a plasmaferese e considerada categoria I (recomendacao em primeira linha de tratamento) em varias doencas neurologicas como por exemplo sindrome de Guillain Barre, polirradiculopatia desmielinizante cronica (PIDC) e miastenia gravis. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo e caracterizar o perfil epidemiologicos dos pacientes com diagnostico de doencas neurologicas submetidos a plasmaferese em 5 hospitais de Sao Paulo. Materiais e metodos: este e um estudo descritivo retrospectivo realizado atraves da revisao de prontuarios de pacientes submetidos ao procedimento de plasmaferese para tratamento de doencas neurologicas no periodo de janeiro de 2020 a junho de 2022. Foram analisados sexo, faixa etaria, numero de sessoes realizadas, diagnostico e variacao dos niveis de hemoglobina pre e pos procedimento. Resultados: Foram submetidos a plasmaferese 53 pacientes com diagnosticos neurologicos diversos. Destes, 34 (64,1%) eram do sexo feminino com uma mediana de idade de 40 anos. Diagnosticos incluidos: 12 neurites opticas, 8 miastenias gravis, 9 escleroses multiplas, 7 pacientes com sindrome de Guillan Barre, 5 mielites, 3 doencas desmielinizantes a esclarecer, 1 encefalite autoimune, 1 polirradiculopatia a esclarecer, 1 polineuropatia a esclarecer, 1 sindrome de Miller Fisher, 3 sindrome de Stiff-Person, 1 ataxia nao especificada e 1 neoplasia de sistema nervoso central. Todos realizaram troca de uma volemia plasmatica e 94% realizaram 5 sessoes. Dois pacientes realizaram apenas 3 sessoes (um paciente com diagnostico de neuromielite e uma miastenia gravis) e um realizou 7 sessoes (mielite pos covid). Seis pacientes nao foram submetidos a outros tratamentos (diagnosticos de miastenia gravis, esclerose multipla, sindrome de Stiff-Person e neurite optica). Todos os demais foram submetidos a pulso com corticoide, imunoglobulina ou rituximabe. A variacao media da hemoglobina foi de 0.14 pontos. Discussao: De acordo com os dados levantados, podemos perceber que a plasmaferese e indicada em diversas doencas neurologicas que nao estao classificadas na categoria I pela ASF. Esse numero de indicacoes em primeira linha pode estar aumentado devido a indisponibilidade de Imunoglobulina Humana neste periodo. Nos demais casos, a plasmaferese foi empregada apos pelo menos uma linha de tratamento. A demora para o confirmacao diagnostica devido a espera dos resultados de exames e tambem devido a evolucao lenta dos sintomas neurologicos dificulta a definicao da melhor abordagem terapeutica incluindo a indicacao da plasmaferese. Conclusao: A plasmaferese continua sendo amplamente empregada em doencas neurologicas de etiologia imune. A interacao entre as equipes de neurologia e hemoterapia sao essenciais para a correta indicacao do procedimento e planejamento terapeutico do paciente. Um estudo bem desenhado para avaliacao de resposta ao tratamento de forma objetiva, contribuira para adicionar dados em relacao a eficacia do tratamento. Copyright © 2022

Analysis of solid waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic in ISWA's associated countries

Waste management is essential in preventing diseases such as COVID-19, but its continuity requires contingency measures to ensure the safety of workers and the population. In this context, this work aimed to identify and evaluate changes and guidelines in waste sectors during the pandemic in the world. The method consisted of documentary research, analysing the data published by the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and its members in 2020. The results show that the majority's focus was continuity of operations and worker safety and that there was variation between stoppage and continuation of the collection and sorting of recyclables. The most adopted procedure for masks and other possible contaminated waste was the collection of them with common residues, and there were no changes in the management in health units. In summary, the pandemic required adaptations of the waste sectors, which varied from one country to another and did not always follow the ISWA recommendations.

Business Intelligence in clinical decision support: applications in the context of intensive medicine

This study follows the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 that aroused curiosity regarding the clinical decisions made in this context. The use of Business Intelligence systems by organizations has proven to be an effective choice whenever it is intended to provide information and support decision making. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the importance of using a Business Intelligence system to support clinical decision-making. Within the scope of the work carried out: i) a mental map was created to be adopted to carry out electronic research and information collection, ii) a model to be followed for carrying out the work was defined, as well as the motivation and research methodology, iii) were Comparisons were made between some support systems for clinical decision within the National Health Service (SNS). The results show that, when there are means that support clinical decision-making, it is a more consistent way of obtaining results that promote efficiency and effectiveness and the propensity for error will be less.

Food, lifestyle and social distancing: a study in the Brazilian southeast during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, measures of social distancing to reduce the rate of infection can influence eating habits and other lifestyle factors. This study aimed to assess the relationship between social distancing and lifestyle factors in adults in southeastern Brazil during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: : It was a cross-sectional study with 1,828 adults between 18 and 83 years of age, of both sexes, carried out through an online questionnaire;sociodemographic, food, health, and lifestyle data were collected and analyzed based on whether or not the social distancing was carried out. Results: The results showed a decrease in breakfast consumption (12.5%) and an increase in the consumption of snacks (24.5% morning snack;12.5% afternoon snack) and snacks between meals (20.4%) during the pandemic, as well as an increase in the consumption of vegetables and legumes among people who did social distancing and in the consumption of fish and fast food among those who did not do social distancing;most participants reported weight gain during social distancing. People who were in social distancing slept more compared to those who were not in social distancing. The main cause of anxiety among those who kept social distancing were COVID-19 statistics. Conclusion: The findings suggest the need for health promotion strategies adapted to the condition of confinement in circumstances such as the current pandemic.

"It's a very hard process": narrative analysis, positioning and identity (re)construction about emergency remote education

This article analyzes the oral narrative of a Portuguese Language teacher and describes, how she has (re)constructed the professional identity(ies) and positions herself in assessments situations in the emergency remote education. This paper is anchored in the theoretical principles of narrative analysis and consider the linguistic-interactional and discursive assessments from the studies of Labov ([1972] 2008);Moita Lopes (2001);Bastos;Biar (2015);Abreu;Nobrega (2020). The data were generated in a continuing education meeting held in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The methodology is qualitative-interpretative and it is based on the concepts of oral narrative studies. The results suggest that, when the teacher constructing the narrative, she organizes the narrated experiences, evaluating the situations and positioning herself according to the assumed identities, sometimes as a concerned teacher who values the advantages of the remote education environment, sometimes as someone who finds themself in the unprecedented pedagogical challenge.

TROMBOCITOPENIA IMUNE ASSOCIADA À IMUNIZAÇÃO PARA SARS-COV-2 COM IMUNIZANTE DA PFIZER: UM RELATO DE CASO

Introdução: Recentemente a maior campanha mundial de imunização da história, contra a pandemia de SARS-CoV-2, foi iniciada. As vacinas disponíveis e liberadas para utilização em nosso meio são seguras, com importante papel na redução de hospitalizações e óbitos. Os efeitos adversos mais comumente relatados são reações locais e reações sistêmicas não-graves como mialgia, cefaleia, náuseas e febre. Casos de trombocitopenia imune associados à imunização contra SARS-CoV-2, incluindo a vacina BNT16B2b2 mRNA da Pfizer, foram descritos. Relato de caso: Um homem de 38 anos, previamente hígido e que não fazia uso de qualquer medicamento, recebeu a vacina PfizerBioNTech BNT16B2b2 mRNA. No décimo quarto dia após a vacinação evoluiu com petéquias, sangramento gengival e equimoses em membro superior direito e região anterior do abdome. Negava sintomas respiratórios, gastrointestinais ou outras queixas. Exames laboratoriais evidenciaram hemoglobina de 14.2 g/dL, Leucócitos de 15950/mm3 e plaquetas de 2000/mm3. Adicionalmente foi realizado investigação laboratorial de Hepatite B, Hepatite C, HIV, Epstein-Barr, HTLV e VDRL, com resultados negativos, além de FAN, coombs direto e fator reumatoide, também negativos. Paciente foi então admitido e tratado com Dexametasona 40mg ao dia por quatro dias, além de Imunoglobulina humana 1 g/Kg por dois dias. Evoluiu com resolução do sangramento gengival, além de involução dos outros sintomas, recebendo alta no quarto dia de internação com contagem plaquetária de 57000/mm3. O paciente foi encaminhado para o ambulatório de Hemostasia da Faculdade de Medicina de Marília onde se encontra em seguimento. Discussão: Trabalhos anteriores, com publicações em revistas médicas de grande relevância, sugerem associação entre trombocitopenia imune e imunização para SARS-CoV-2 com imunizante da Pfizer. O caso do presente paciente, sem outra causa identificada, sem histórico de outras morbidades e com relação temporal à imunização sugere, mas não prova, que a vacina deve estar relacionada à trombocitopenia do paciente. É importante considerar que a incidência de trombocitopenia imune é de cerca de 3.3 casos por 100000 habitantes ao ano, portanto é possível que o diagnóstico do paciente seja um coincidência dada o grande número de adultos imunizados no período.

Malignant colorectal obstruction: a university hospital 4-year retrospective case series

Background: In 2020, colorectal cancer (CRC) was the most diagnosed cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer related mortality in Portugal. Early detection and adequate treatment lead to improvements in mortality. Increasing participation in screening programs has been challenging and health authorities in Portugal reported that in 2018 only 40% of the target population had an up-to-date screening status. Not only screening but also access to specialized consultation and surgery seem to preclude timely treatment. The year 2020 brought forth another challenge as the SARS-CoV2 pandemic halted screening efforts and discouraged patients from seeking healthcare. We hypothesized that under these conditions an increase in colorectal obstruction and more advanced staging at diagnosis would be observed. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively identified the consecutive cases of malignant colorectal obstruction (MCO) that presented to the emergency department and demanded emergent surgery between January 1st 2017 and March 1st 2021. Recruitment was performed by reviewing operating room logbooks and electronic patient records. A total of 226 patients operated for colorectal obstruction were identified. Patients with benign disease or non-digestive primary were excluded and the 161 remaining cases were reviewed. Results: Median age of patients 72(29-97) years and female to male ratio of 1:1.3. Statistical analysis of complete years (2017-2020) observed an overall average of 39(±8.4) cases/year with no clear increasing trend. Previous CRC diagnosis had been established in 20.0%, 28.9%, 37.3% and 31.3% of cases in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. Stage III or higher at pathological diagnosis was increasingly more frequent (62.9%, 76.3%, 76.5%, 81.3 %) but M status remained stable at an average of 42.7(±5.9)%. Surgical approach did not vary and in an average of 33.6(±2.7)% of patients, derivative surgery alone was indicated (palliation or bridge to therapy) and in 72.4(±1.0)% of patients, resection with ostomy was performed. Conclusions: The descriptive nature of this analysis hinders the accuracy of its conclusions but offers some insights. The incidence of MCO did not seem to vary, however our selection is biased as patients may have searched for emergent care in other hospitals. In the patients that evolve to obstruction, the delay in screening and treatment implementation seem to result in an increase in stage at surgery dependent on lymph node status as metastatic disease remained stable. It seems early to observe the effect of the pandemic on timely diagnosis and treatment, but it seems it contributed for a higher staging at diagnosis. It is possible we would find a similar effect on non-obstructive cases rather than an increase in MCO. A larger scope and prospective recruitment seem key to capturing this difference in outcomes.

Virtual Lab Virtues in Distance Learning

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Portuguese schools have been closed twice. This fact causes teachers to quickly adapt the content of learning to the characteristics of distance learning. In some courses, this adaption is straightforward, although all activities on lab were limited to videos of experiments without any interaction by the students. These aspects could be very prejudicial to the learning process since the success of students in lab is proportional to the experimentation and training. To address this problem, a design science research-based project was launched to develop a prototype of a virtual lab that could allow the students the training that is as much as possible a replication of the real experiences’ protocols. The preliminary results of the use of this virtual lab prototype were conducted by chemical teachers (as expert judgment). At the same time, we have implemented in the prototype checking points to give feedback to the student that are spread from the solid quantity calculation for the solution through the techniques of prevention of contamination of the solution in the process. Next step in this research will be the evaluation of vLab in large scale, addressing the evaluation of virtual lab versus real lab context, user friendly and early adoption of technology (students and teachers). Besides this, the prototype will still be developed to evolve for a virtual lab with haptics. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

PRECARIOUSNESS INTENSIFICATION AND ATTACHMENT TO AN IMAGINED PAST: THE MOZAMBIQUE CASE

Sars-Cov-2 contaminates human beings, regardless of their ethnicity, sex and social class;however, one cannot deny that it represents greater threat to those who survive despite their precarious living conditions. This population is distributed in different places worldwide;however, such a distribution is uneven. The aim of the current study is to analyze the impacts of the health and humanitarian crisis on the African continent, where these precariousness is most significant. Based on the Mozambique case, it addresses the vulnerability of the education system in a globalization context wherein the country faces the challenge of simultaneously meeting demands posed by international organizations and building the foundations of a National State, amid dependency relationships that mark its history: external dependence, domination and blocking of differences that utopias of the post-colonial nationalist movement were not enough to overcome. The study adopted post colonial reflections to substantiate the assumption that attachment to the idea of forming a national Mozambican identity has contributed to deepen practices that favor exclusion processes and compromise the construction of democracy as open possibility.

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) on European Green Capitals (EGC) towards Fostering Circular Economy (CE): A Preliminary Study

Nowadays we are facing the emergence of new challenges, especially focused on environmental behavior and climate change and also the effects and impacts of COVID-19 world pandemic - which can restrain the attainment of the desired sustainability. It is, then, mandatory to reply to all of these challenges through the design of specific paths to attain sustainable development in a collective approach, with the involvement and the commitment of the community and performed in an integrated way. Thus, it is proposed a trans-disciplinary research method based on the European Union title recognition - European Green Capital (EGC) -, directly related to the Circular Economy (CE), together with a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This paper highlights sustainable measures and proposes common managerial strategies and policies, that can support the cities/regions' sustainable practices embedding as well as ensure its overall monitoring to measure if the actions implemented through time are adequate and efficient towards attaining CE and sustainable development. Those are based on the analysis of the best practices of the EGC, which can impact on CE, and using DEA. This approach can follow the city/region evolution and be adapted to the EGC evaluation parameters in order to understand the main characteristics that can contribute to improve governance approaches and help to foster CE into all the cities/regions' ecosystem. © 2021 IEEE.

Lifestyle and nutrition changes during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) lockdown in México: A n observational study

Introduction: To evaluate the changes implemented in lifestyle and nutrition in the mexican population during the lockdown due to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Material and methods: Transversal study performed during the lockdown in Mexico. Data was obtained through a digital questionnaire, which was spread through social media. The questionnaire evaluated aspects related to: nutrition, well-being and lifestyle (tobacco and alcohol consumption, physical activity and sleep problems) as well as demographic variables. For the statistical analyses, the chi-square test was used to compare differences between genders, with a statistical significance of 5%, using SPSS 23.0 software. Results: A total of 1084 surveys were analyzed. The average age was 35.5±13.9 years and 66.5% (n=721) were women. In relation to eating before lockdown, 69.8% (n=757) considered their diet healthy, 6.5% (n=99) very healthy and 23.7% (n=228) unhealthy, and 2.3% (n=26) have improved their diet, despite this 17.1% (n=186) of people say they eat all the time these days. In relation to sleep, women sleep less during the period of lockdown (p=0.002) and wake up more during the night when compared to men (p<0.001). Conclusions: Factors like nutrition and sleep have alteration in that time of the lockdown. It is important to mention the relevance of these factors because the good nutrition and rest contribute for a better/ strengthening immunological system.

Unmasking governance failures: The impact of COVID-19 on small-scale fishing communities in South Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the pre-existing vulnerability of the small-scale fisheries sector in South Africa and exposed the structural inequalities and ongoing injustices facing this sector. The failures within the fisheries governance and management system linked to the slow pace of implementing the Small-scale Fisheries Policy of 2012, have further exacerbated their vulnerability. This paper explores the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the small-scale fisheries sector and exposes how governance failures within the fisheries sector have increased their vulnerability. Restrictions on fishing activities and mobility, closure of conservation areas, unfair fines and arrests, loss of markets and barriers to sale of fish products as well as lack of access to water, have had significant impacts on small-scale fishers and coastal communities. The lack of social protection and the limited emergency relief provided by government further exacerbated their precarious position. Despite their vulnerability, fishers have demonstrated a measure of resilience, supporting those in need with food, lobbying government to amend restrictions and recognise their rights, and challenging efforts to fast-track development and exclude their voices. The crisis has highlighted an urgent need for broad, national level transformation to deal with the poverty and injustices facing poor coastal communities, as well as fisheries-specific policy reform.

Prevalence of COVID-19 in oral health professionals of the Balearic Islands in the period of confinement and start of the deescalated

The aim of the present study is to perform an anonymous, quantitative and descriptive analysis about the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in oral care professionals in the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands, during the confinement of the copulation and the beginning of the deescalated. For this, an online self-filling survey was used. It was sento to the oral care professionals working in the Balearic Islands. Dentists and stomatologists (DS), superior technicians in oral hygiene (OH) and superior techniclans in dental prosthesis (DP). The oral care professionals received and answered the survey in the period between June 1st and 30th 2020, using a form served through the Google Forms Gsutt application. 148 professionals responded to the survey, of which 4% reported a positive serology to COVID-19. All positive professionals were from Mallorca and from urban (83,3%) and semi-urban areas (16,6%). Significantly more OH (76%) and DP (88%) did not undergone the COVID test in comparison with DS (49%, p = 0.0008). There was no statistically significant difference between the different professionals regarding the fear of contracting the virus. There was also no statistically significant diference between the type of mask (p=0.6166) used by the professionals. With the results of the present study was possible to find a prevalence of 4% of COVID-19 infection among the oral care professionals of the Balearic Islands who answered the survey.

Survey on the situation of professionals of oral health in the Balearic Islands against COVID-19 in time of confinement population and start of de-escalation

Introduction: The ADEMA-UIB University School of Dentistry, faced with the situation caused by COVID-19, has carried out a survey for dentists and stomatologists, superior technicians in oral hygiene and superior technicians in dental prosthesis of the Balearic Islands, in order to know various important aspects of their work and personal situation in relation to COVID-19, as well as the measures adopted and the functionality of the Dental Clinics and the Dental Prosthesis Laboratories, during the confinement of the population and the start of de-escalation. The aim of the study is to know the changes produced in the oral care of the population during this stage of the pandemic. Material and method: We carried out an online self-filling survey, with free access to the 1,482 professionals involved in oral care of the population of the Balearic Islands. The data has been collected between days 1 and 30 of June 2020, through a form served through the Google Forms Gsuit application. This study is quantitative, descriptive and anonymous. Results: The responses received by the 148 professionals who filled in the form, already reported specific percentage trends. After comparing their sociodemographic aspects, individual protection equipment, infections and operations of dental clinics and prosthetic laboratories, significant differences between them were observed. Conclusions: The surveyed population presented a greater exposure to the risk of contracting the viral infection than in the general population. Around 30% of those surveyed have maintained their usual activity and around 15% have declared that they have closed their center. Furthermore, the most frequent masks used by them were surgical masks and FFP2, although among the higher technicians in dental prosthesis the use of surgical masks was more frequent. Discussion: In reference to the data observed in the surveys carried out at a national level, it is worth highlighting some differences between the results from the Balearic Islands surveys and the national ones. While the Balearic Islands had a percentage of 83% in relation to the participation of the urban environment, the national surveys reported a percentage of 58%. Moreover, the use of waterproof suits resulted in 78,7% in the Balearic Islands compared to 15% at a national level and around 11,5% of the participants had difficulties to obtain PPEs in the Islands compared to 80% at a national level. Finally, the number of tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19 which have been carried out on the surveyed professionals reached 43.9% in the Balearic Islands compared to just 1% of professionals nationwide, which justifies the underdiagnoses of COVID-19 among the country.

An innovative, reusable and sustainable face-seal device to improve protection efficacy of surgical masks against COVID-19

The outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had a direct impact on the global health system, causing an alarming shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Recent studies have shown that a significant number of healthcare professionals have been contaminated by the COVID-19 at their workplace due to the lack of appropriate PPE. Consequently, the PEE requirements have changed, making the use of filtering face-piece respirators (FFR) N95 and NK95 (FFP2 or FFP3, respectively) mandatory in place of the surgical masks previously used by healthcare professionals. Applying individualized face-seal devices in surgical masks, such as a thermoplastic resin ring, may significantly avoid inhalation of unfiltered air. Besides reducing leakage around the mask, which could convert surgical masks into PPE dual masks due to the high percentage of face-seal, it would allow a bidirectional protection for both healthcare professionals and patients, thus becoming a medical device. The polylactic acid (corn starch) thermoplastic resin ring is the device proposed here to be used in order to decrease leakage of potentially contaminated air. The use of poly lactic acid is of particular interest due to the fact that is a material appropriate for sanitary use, reusable and biodegradable. Therefore, healthcare professionals and organizations can maintain clinical activity in a cost-efficient manner whilst improving clinical safety.