A new SYBR Green real-time PCR to detect SARS-CoV-2.

Phylogenetic analysis has demonstrated that the etiologic agent of the 2020 pandemic outbreak is a betacoronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. For public health interventions, a diagnostic test with high sensitivity and specificity is required. The gold standard protocol for diagnosis by the Word Health Organization (WHO) is RT-PCR. To detect low viral loads and perform large-scale screening, a low-cost diagnostic test is necessary. Here, we developed a cost-effective test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2. We validated an auxiliary protocol for molecular diagnosis with the SYBR Green RT-PCR methodology to successfully screen negative cases of SARS-CoV-2. Our results revealed a set of primers with high specificity and no homology with other viruses from the Coronovideae family or human respiratory tract pathogenic viruses, presenting with complementarity only for rhinoviruses/enteroviruses and Legionella spp. Optimization of the annealing temperature and polymerization time led to a high specificity in the PCR products. We have developed a more affordable and swift methodology for negative SARS-CoV-2 screening. This methodology can be applied on a large scale to soften panic and economic burden through guidance for isolation strategies.

Placental maternal vascular malperfusion affecting late fetuses development and multi-organ infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 (preprint)

Background: Pregnant women are susceptible to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the consequences on the fetus are still uncertain. Here, we present a case of a pregnant woman with subclinical hypothyroidism and PAI-1 4G/5G mutation who was infected with SARS-CoV-2 at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy. Methods: nested PCR were performed to detect the virus, followed by ssDNA sequencing. Results: transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can cause placental inflammation, ischemia and neonatal viremia, with complications such as preterm labor and damage to the placental barrier in patients with PAI-1 4G/5G mutation. Conclusion: we show the possibility of transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the last weeks of pregnancy.

Perception of women about telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV-2)

Introduction: Since the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was declared a pandemic, health care was one of the fields that underwent significant changes. Telemedicine, that uses technological and communication resources to provide health care, was deemed a safe alternative to continue patient care while quarantine and social isolation measures were in place. Objective: To analyze the perception of women treated at an outpatient clinic in relation to remote health care implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Descriptive research conducted at the Women’s Physiotherapy Outpatient Clinic of the Prof. Fernando Figueira Comprehensive Medicine Institute (IMIP) in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. The study included women above the age of 18 years who were being remotely treated and excluded those who discontinued treatment. Data were collected from November 2020 to July 2021, using a questionnaire which was sent to the participants via WhatsApp. Results: Twenty-six women with an average age of 52 ± 10.1 years were interviewed. Most (61.54%) were being treated for urinary incontinence at the outpatient clinic and 38.5% had been undergoing physiotherapy for at least six months. A total of 92.3% of the participants reported feeling safe with remote health care and 70.4% noticed an improvement in their symptoms. Conclusion: Most patients noticed an improvement in their symptoms, felt comfortable and safe with teleservices and would agree to continue even after returning to in-person care. However, to ensure more effective results, patients need to be well informed and have some prior knowledge about the proposed treatment. © 2022,Fisioterapia em Movimento. All Rights Reserved.

Brazilian’s frequency of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms in the covid-19 pandemic

Objectives: to analyze the frequency of anxiety, stress and depression in Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: cross-sectional study conducted with Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was performed via an online electronic form containing self-reported sociodemographic and mental health variables using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) using the snow-ball sampling technique. For the whole study, a significance level of 0.05 was considered, except for the application of the stepwise method, which considered a level of 0.2. Results: 1,775 people responded the survey, mostly women (78.07%), white (58.13%), single (45.78%), currently working (63.74%). 32.03% received psychotherapy or some type of emotional support before the pandemic, 19.03% had some psychiatric diagnosis and 8.49% started some support after the beginning of the pandemic. The mean scores investigated by the DASS-21 scale were 5.53869 for depression, 4.467334 for anxiety and 8.221202 for stress. Conclusions: during the COVID-19 pandemic, sociodemographic and mental health characteristics were mapped and in Brazilians and the symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress were identified mainly in women, single people, who did not currently work and already had some previous mental health symptom.

Repercussions of the covid-19 pandemic in children and mothers with congenital zika syndrome

Objective: To analyze the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in mothers-children with Congenital Zika Syndrome. Methods: This is a mixed exploratory sequential study (QUAL-> QUAN), carried out with 44 mothers of children with Congenital Zika Syndrome who answered an online questionnaire applied between April and May 2020. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic content analysis and quantitative data to statistics descriptive, with application of paired Student's t test. Data integration was performed according to the joint display technique. Results: Physical distancing reconfi gures the mother-child routine, limits the development of activities in the domestic environment, changes habits, increases caregivers' burden (p<0.05), implies changes in sleep patterns and generates signs of stress and anxiety. Mothers are concerned about the decrease in family income and strive to perform stimulation exercises and school activities in the domestic environment after the interruption of professional rehabilitation care and the closing of schools. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the increase in new tasks of caring for the child and the home environment, as well as raising the levels of care burden for mothers, which can result in important changes in their physical and mental health. © 2021 Departamento de Enfermagem/Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo. All rights reserved.

Brazilian's frequency of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms in the COVID- 19 pandemic. (Special issue.)

Objectives: to analyze the frequency of anxiety, stress and depression in Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

COVID-19 in the brazilian prison system: From indifference as a policy to a death policy

At the beginning of 2020 Covid-19-a disease caused by a new type of coronavirus-was classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization and affected countries on all continents, leading to the death of hundreds of thousands of people. In Brazil, the disease has also spread quickly, requiring measures of social isolation. Marked by overcrowding and precarious infrastructure, brazilian prisons have become an issue of concern for national and international organizations that have demanded releasing measures. In this context, this article analyzes the National Penitentiary Department's proposal to use containers to shelter prisoners, which is against Resolution 62/2020 of the National Council of Justice, that pointed to the reduction of the population deprived of liberty. It is discussed how the disregard for releasing measures and the demand for even more rights-violating propositions lead to the ratification of a death policy for prisoners. © 2020.