Phototherapies for COVID-19-associated opportunistic oral infections.

Opportunistic infections are widely described in patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, very few studies have addressed those affecting the oral cavity. Given the lack of information on the clinical presentations and the available treatment options, the present study aimed to show a case in which a combination of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) was used for the management of two concomitant COVID-19-associated opportunistic oral infections (oral pseudomembranous candidiasis and recurrent herpes labialis). Within 7 days and without any systemic drug administration, all the lesions resolved completely, and the patient no longer reported oral pain or discomfort. According to the current case report and taking into consideration the significant gaps in the knowledge and understanding of COVID-19, this combination of phototherapy modalities seems to be a promising tool for managing viral and fungal opportunistic oral infections.

A Brazilian multicenter pilot case series on the efficacy of photobiomodulation therapy for COVID-19-related taste dysfunction.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Among the most common symptoms of COVID-19 is taste dysfunction, which has a ranging clinical presentation. As well as its pathophysiology remains to be unclear, there is not enough information about the efficacy and safety of the available treatments. This study aims to report a series of cases using PBMT for the management of COVID-19-related taste impairment. CASE SERIES: 8 female and 2 male patients sought medical help for taste impairment (either partially or completely) after COVID-19 infection. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on the tongue mucosa was then proposed but with 3 different protocols. Taste perception at baseline and before every laser session was evaluated using a visual analog scale. Irrespective of the PBMT protocol, taste recovery was noted in all cases but with varying degrees of improvement. CONCLUSION: given the high prevalence rates of taste dysfunction in COVID-19 patients and the lack of information about the available treatments, PBMT seems to be a promising therapeutic modality but not dependent on the total number of laser sessions and the interval between them. The choice of the most suitable laser protocol as well as the knowledge of the exact photonic mechanisms, however, need to be better studied.

Planned home birth assistance: challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the challenges faced by urban midwives in assisting planned home births during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Qualitative study, based on the Collective Subject Discourse methodological framework, carried out with eight professionals, members of a birth care collective from the northeast region of Brazil. Data was collected between September and October of 2020 using the focus group technique. RESULTS: The collective discourses revealed five central ideas: Changing assistance strategy; Dealing with frustration; Facing the fear of contamination; Avoiding exposure to the virus; and Keeping distance during the care process. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The challenging condition the pandemic brings to the care of planned home births is made evident, being marked by the need for collective protection and the pressure of following health recommendations. The study also points out the need for official protocols and good quality information based on scientific evidence and humanizing principles to guide health care.

Intranasal photobiomodulation therapy for COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction: A Brazilian multicenter case series.

Olfactory dysfunction is commonly seen in COVID-19 patients; however, little is known about the pathophysiology and management. The present study aimed to report a series of cases in which three protocols of intranasal photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) were used for COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction. Irrespective of the PBMT protocol, olfaction recovery was noted in all cases but with varying degrees of improvement. Although intranasal PBMT seems to be a promising therapeutic modality, more research is needed to better define effectiveness.

Suicidal behaviour in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: protocol for systematic review of observational studies.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on mortality indicators worldwide. Mitigation and repression actions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease are necessary. However, they are criticised in the economic, social and psychological spheres. This social isolation, increased unemployment, routine changes, news of health complications and deaths related to COVID-19 can cause psychological repercussions that will certainly intensify in the coming months, and suicidal behaviour presents itself as a fatal outcome. It is necessary to know factors associated with suicidal behaviour in adults during the pandemic. Although there are studies, there is no systematic review to assess these factors, specifically in adults. The objective is to critically synthesise the scientific evidence on the factors associated with suicidal behaviour in adults in the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND ANALYSES: A systematic review will be carried out, recommended by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, in seven databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), ISI of Knowledge, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), SCOPUS, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (PsycINFO), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and ScienceDirect. Preliminary search was carried out on 30 July 2020 and will be updated in March 2021. No restrictions on publication date, study location or languages will be considered in this review. The preliminary research strategies were carried out on 30 July 2020 and will be updated in February 2021. To measure the agreement between reviewers at each screening stage, Cohen's Kappa will be calculated. Primary outcome will be factors related to suicidal behaviour in adults during COVID-19 pandemic. Grouped standardised mean differences and 95% CIs will be calculated. The risk of bias in observational studies will be assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomised Studies (MINORS). Statistical heterogeneity will be assessed with the I2 statistic. ETHICS AND DISCLOSURE: Ethical approval is not required, as primary data will not be collected. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020208816.

Maternal solitude before the new guidelines in SARS-COV-2 times: a Brazilian cutting.

AIM: To reflect on the lonely experience of women during the pregnancy-puerperal cycle in times of pandemic by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. METHOD: Theoretical-reflective study on the new Brazilian guidelines for care for women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum in times of Covid-19 and its influence on the exacerbation of maternal loneliness. The discussion about the transformations of women in this period refers to Maldonado's studies. RESULTS: Motherhood is a lonely process for women. The new technical norms that are in force bring important changes in the assistance to this cycle, mainly with regard to the importance of social distance, which intensifies the feeling of loneliness and helplessness. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: This reflection can guide health professionals, especially the work of nurses in the scope of obstetrics, so that during the assistance to women in the pregnancy-puerperal cycle, they pay attention to the subtlety of feelings of loneliness that can interfere with maternal well-being fetal.

Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain with Stapled Peptides: An In Silico Study.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evolved into a pandemic of unprecedented scale. This coronavirus enters cells by the interaction of the receptor binding domain (RBD) with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (hACE2). In this study, we employed a rational structure-based design to propose 22-mer stapled peptides using the structure of the hACE2 α1 helix as a template. These peptides were designed to retain the α-helical character of the natural structure, to enhance binding affinity, and to display a better solubility profile compared to other designed peptides available in the literature. We employed different docking strategies (PATCHDOCK and ZDOCK) followed by a double-step refinement process (FIBERDOCK) to rank our peptides, followed by stability analysis/evaluation of the interaction profile of the best docking predictions using a 500 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and a further binding affinity analysis by molecular mechanics with generalized Born and surface area (MM/GBSA) method. Our most promising stapled peptides presented a stable profile and could retain important interactions with the RBD in the presence of the E484K RBD mutation. We predict that these peptides can bind to the viral RBD with similar potency to the control NYBSP-4 (a 30-mer experimentally proven peptide inhibitor). Furthermore, our study provides valuable information for the rational design of double-stapled peptide as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Photobiomodulation therapy and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for orofacial lesions in patients with COVID-19: A case series.

Oral lesions related to the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been increasingly described; however, clinical and epidemiological information is still scant. Although a diversity of therapeutic strategies for the management of these lesions are present in the literature, one can note a lack of standardization and doubtful effectiveness. Thus, the present study aimed to report a series of cases in which a combination of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) was used for orofacial lesions in patients suffering from COVID-19. It was noted, in all cases, a marked improvement in tissue repair and pain relief within a few days; moreover, the patients recovered their orofacial functions satisfactorily. Based on the present series of cases and having in mind the conspicuous lack of information on the different aspects of COVID-19, the protocol which combined aPDT with PMBT seemed to be effective in the management of COVID-19-related orofacial lesions.

A combination of phototherapy modalities for extensive lip lesions in a patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Many oral signs and symptoms related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been reported; however, both prevalence and etiology are still undetermined. Since the clinical features of the oral lesions seen in COVID-19 are highly heterogeneous and the treatments differ considerably in the literature, the present study aimed to report a clinical case in which a combination of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) was used for extensive lip lesions in a patient suffering from COVID-19. Within 4 days and without any systemic drug administration, after two sessions of aPDT and one session of PBMT, the lip lesions were completely healed, and the patient recovered her orofacial functions satisfactorily. According to the current case report and taking into consideration the evident lack of information about many aspects of COVID-19 infection, this combination of phototherapy modalities seems to be a promising tool for managing COVID-19-related lip lesions; however, more studies are necessary.

Emergency remote teaching in nursing graduation: experience report during covid-19

RESUMO Objetivo: descrever a experiência no ensino remoto emergencial para as aulas teóricas na graduação em Enfermagem em decorrência da COVID-19. Método: trata-se de um relato de experiência pautado na análise de Paulo Freire que aborda o processo de ensino remoto emergencial das aulas teóricas ocorrido em um curso de graduação em Enfermagem pertencente a uma instituição de ensino superior de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil, após as medidas de afastamento social em consequência da pandemia. Resultados: amparado pelo modelo de educação dialógica, o processo de ensino remoto emergencial das aulas demandou a aproximação de docentes e discentes à realidade virtual, além da reestruturação das estratégias de ensino adotadas pelo corpo docente. Conclusão: a experiência de ensino remoto perpassou pela capacitação e acompanhamento das docentes e discentes quanto o uso de ferramentas virtuais, bem como pela necessidade de readequação das estratégias de ensino, as quais variaram desde a realização de conferências virtuais até a elaboração conjunta de produtos que compuseram atividades avaliativas nesse ambiente. RESUMEN Objetivo: describir la experiencia en la enseñanza remota de emergencia para clases teóricas en cursos de grado en enfermería como resultado del COVID-19. Método: se trata de un informe de experiencia basado en el análisis de Paulo Freire que enfoca el proceso de enseñanza remota de emergencia de clases teóricas en un curso de licenciatura en enfermería de una institución de educación superior en Salvador, Bahía, Brasil, después de las medidas de distanciamiento social como consecuencia de la pandemia. Resultados: respaldado en el modelo de educación dialógica, el proceso de enseñanza remota de emergencia de las clases demandó el acercamiento de docentes y estudiantes a la realidad virtual, además de reestructuración de las estrategias de enseñanza adoptadas por la facultad. Conclusión: la experiencia de enseñanza a distancia implicó la capacitación y seguimiento de docentes y estudiantes en el uso de herramientas virtuales, así como la necesidad de reajustar las estrategias de enseñanza, desde la realización de conferencias virtuales hasta la elaboración conjunta de productos para evaluar las actividades en este entorno. ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the experience in emergency remote teaching for theoretical classes in undergraduate Nursing courses due to COVID-19. Method: this is an experience report based on Paulo Freire's analysis that addresses the emergency remote teaching process of theoretical classes in an undergraduate Nursing course belonging to a higher education institution in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, after measures of social exclusion due to the pandemic. Results: supported by the dialogical education model, the emergency remote teaching process of the classes demanded the approach of teachers and students to virtual reality and the restructuring of the teaching strategies adopted by the faculty. Conclusion: the remote teaching experience involved the training and monitoring of teachers and students regarding the use of virtual tools, and the need to readjust teaching strategies, from virtual conferences to the joint development of products that composed evaluative activities in this environment.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of young people and adults: a systematic review protocol of observational studies.

INTRODUCTION: Since the WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, the spread of the new coronavirus has been the focus of attention of scientists, governments and populations. One of the main concerns is the impact of this pandemic on health outcomes, mainly on mental health. Even though there are a few empirical studies on COVID-19 and mental health, so far, there is no systematic review about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of young people and adults yet. We aim to critically synthesise the scientific evidence about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people and adults. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic review will be performed through eight databases: MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), ISI-of-Knowledge, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), SCOPUS, LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), PsycINFO (Psychology Information) and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure), from inception until 30 June 2020. No restriction regarding the publication date, setting or languages will be considered. Preliminary search strategies were carried out on 29 March 2020 and will be updated in June 2020. The primary outcomes will be the prevalence and the severity of psychological symptoms in young people and adults (>18 years old) resulting from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. Pooled standardised mean differences and 95% CIs will be calculated. The risk of bias of the observational studies will be assessed through the Methodological Index for Non-Randomised Studies (MINORS). Additionally, if sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Heterogeneity between the studies will be determined by the I2 statistics. Subgroup analyses will also be performed. Publication bias will be checked with funnel plots and Egger's test. Heterogeneity will be explored by random-effects analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical assessment was not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and will be presented at conferences related to this field. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020177366.