Optimization of the layout of meeting rooms, in the fight against COVID- 19, trough the web application sala planejada

Conscience, Responsibility and Solidarity, are important pillars to which large companies are guided in this scenario of combating the pandemic generated by COVID-19. In this paper, the application of optimization techniques is addressed though the Planned Room web application, motivated by the need for a safe return to work, respecting the social distancing criteria pointed out by the World Health Organization. The objective is to propose an optimized layout for the meeting rooms and other living spaces, maximizing the number of places available from the physical dimensions of the environments of the tables and chairs offered. The use of the Planned Room proved to be advantageous for generating an optimized plan with the coordinates foreseen for each chair and for guaranteeing the minimum distance necessary to avoid contagion among workers, which can be replicated to the other units of the company.

Longitudinal humoral immune response against COVID-19 adenovirus-based vaccines in patients with multiple sclerosis from Argentina undergoing immunosuppressive treatment

Introduction: Most reports related to humoral immune response to COVID 19 vaccines in people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) were performed on mRNA-based vaccines. Objective(s): to analyze the longitudinal humoral immune responses to adenovirus-based vaccines (Sputnik V and AZD1222) in pwMS under different diseases modifying therapies (DMTs) Methods: IgG anti- SARS-COV-2 spike titers in a cohort of 101 pwMS and 28 healthy controls (HC) were measured 6 weeks after vaccination using the COVID-AR kit according to the manufacture instructions. Both patients and controls received two or three doses of Sputnik, AZD1222 or a mixed schedule (MS) of both vaccines. The neutralizing capacity was evaluated by measuring antibody neutralizing titers using SARS COV-2 pseudotyped particles. Result(s): 60.5% of pwMS were female, mean EDSS: 2.49 +/-1.5, age: 36.6 +/-10.7, disease duration 7.6 +/- 5.1 years. DMTs: 45 pwMS were under fingolimod, 23 under dimethyl fumarate, 14 under cladribine and 19 under antiCD20 monoclonal antibodies. Vaccines: 35.7% Sputnik V, 51.9% AZD1222 and 12.4 % MS. No antibody response to a 2nd dose was found in 41.3% of pwMS under fingolimod and 73.6% under antiCD20. We found a correlation between lower lymphocyte count and lower antibody titers in pwMS under fingolimod (r: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46-0.81, p=<=0.0001). A correlation was also found between the antibody titer and the last dose of antiCD20 (r: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.03-0.7, p=0.03). In March 2022, 57 pwMS received their 3nddose, 6 patients under fingolimod and 7 under antiCD20 remained without any antibody response. We did not find differences in the neutralization capacity with different DMT and or vaccines. Multivariate regression analysis showed antiCD20 (beta= -,349, 95% CI: -3655.6-369.01, p=0.017) and fingolimod (beta=-,399, 95% CI: -3363.8-250.9, p=0.023) treatments as independent factor associated with low antibody response (r2 adjusted=0.157). Conclusion(s): This is the first report of longitudinal humoral immune response of patients under adenovirus-based vaccines, specially Sputnik V, that demonstrate that these vaccines have similar results to those obtained with mRNA-based vaccines.

Puede el COVID-19 exacerbar los síntomas de la esclerosis múltiple? análisis de una serie de casos

Introduction: Las inflamaciones periféricas pueden exacerbar lesiones pre-existentes en el Sistema Nervioso Central en contexto de enfermedades neurodegenerativas, incluyendo la Esclerosis Múltiple (EM). Objetives: Analizar el efecto de la infección por COVID-19 como generador de inflamación periférica en un grupo de pacientes con EM. Methods: Análisis retrospectivo de 400 historias clínicas de pacientes con EM de un centro de referencia. A los pacientes que presentaron COVID-19 se les realizó una encuesta sobre la presencia o ausencia de exacerbación de síntomas previos de EM durante la infección y hasta tres meses posterior a ella. Se incluyó: tipo de síntoma, duración y comienzo de la exacerbación, vacunación previa contra COVID-19 y severidad de la enfermedad. Además, se incluyó información clínica y demográfica de las historias clínicas. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo e inferencial utilizando el GraphPad Prism V6. Results: 41 pacientes fueron incluidos, 58,5% fueron mujeres y la edad promedio fue de 42.9 ± 11.3. 90,2% presentaban la forma remitente-recurrente (EMRR), el promedio de años de evolución de EM fue de 9.6 ± 6.60 y el EDSS promedio fue de 2.4 ± 2.1. 25 pacientes (61%) tuvieron exacerbaciones de EM, 9,7% (n=4) presentaron síntomas compatibles con recaídas y 7,3% (n=3) requirieron corticoides. Encontramos diferencias significativas en el EDSS entre los pacientes que exacerbaron sus síntomas de EM y los que no (p=0,03). Al efectuar un análisis de regresión multivariada encontramos que el EDSS se asoció de forma independiente a la presencia de exacerbaciones de la EM en contexto de infección por SARS CoV2 (OR= 2.44, p =0.022). Conclusions: Este estudio preliminar sugiere que la infección por COVID-19 podría desencadenar exacerbaciones de síntomas de la EM. Se necesitan nuevos estudios que diluciden la relación entre COVID-19 y EM.

TEACHERS' PERCEPTION ON THE EMERGENCY REMOTE EDUCATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN CARAPAJO VILLAGE IN THE CITY OF CAMETA, PARA STATE

With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world, containment measures were imposed by government authorities, which caused a challenge to be posed before the school reality. Teachers and students have become increasingly physically distant, but connected through a single possible resource, technology. This paper entitled "The Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT)" aims to understand the teachers' perception on the ERT, and has as an approach the explanatory research which had as procedures the data collected on the teachers' opinions of a public school in the countryside of Para State on the use of Digital Information and Communication Technology (DICT) in Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) during the pandemic. Questionnaires were applied and interviews were held with 23 teachers. During the study, it was observed that the majority of teachers kept on teaching remotely and making didactic materials available to their students. Furthermore, training courses on the use of technological resources were not offered for most of them. It was also observed that the students have restricted access to the Internet and electronic equipment. Given these points, the majority (65.2%) of teachers reported that the ERT has an intermediate character, thus, considering it as one more challenge in their continuing education in Brazilian public schools.

Safety of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with multiple sclerosis from Latin America

Introduction: Patients with MS (pwMS) are currently receiving different COVID-19 vaccines in several Latin American countries. However, questions arise around the safety of these vaccines and whether vaccination might increase the risk of relapse activity. Therefore, we aimed to assess the safety and occurrence of relapses following COVID-19 vaccination in Latin American pwMS. Methods: A web-based survey was completed by 207 pwMS from Latin America to assess for adverse events associated with COVID-19 vaccination between February 1 and April 30, 2021. Results: All participants received the first dose and 84 the second. The different vaccines administered were: inactivated virus vaccines [(IVV);CoronaVac, BBIBP-CorV) ] in 117 (56.5%) patients, adenovirus vector vaccines [(AdV);Gam-COVID-Vac, AZD1222] in 53 (25.6%) and mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2) in 37 (17.9%). The mean follow-up after vaccination was 24 ± 16 days. Three (1.4%) patients reported having COVID-19 infection after vaccination (all occurring after the first dose). Any adverse events were reported in 61 (29.5%) and 23 (27.4%) individuals after the first and second doses respectively. These included pain at the injection site, headache, fever, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and muscle or joint pain. A lower frequency of adverse events was found with IVV (x?=7.2, p=0.03). Four (1.9%) patients reported an MS relapse, all occurring after an IVV first dose. Mean time to relapse: 18 ± 13 days. None of these patients had stopped or postponed their MS treatment before vaccination. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccines seem to be safe for pwMS from Latin America. No major safety signals appeared in this patientreported study.