Ultrastructural analysis of the late stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero cells

Since 2019, the world is experiencing a COVID-19 pandemic period caused by the new betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This pathogen has led more than millions of people to death and many questions about the molecular mechanisms of interactions with the host cell are still unanswered. Viral entry and egress are important steps for the virus cycle. Although SARS-CoV-2 internalization has been largely studied, the egress steps of SARS-CoV-2 are still not fully described. In this study, we address the morphological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 morphogenesis and egress by transmission and high-resolution scanning microscopy, with the aim of adding more information about the route of nascent virions towards the extracellular medium. Our results reinforce the role of small secretory vesicles as a vehicle to the individual egress, which could be the predominant via to the SARS-CoV-2 egress in Vero cells.

Androgen-deprivation therapy and cognitive decline in the NEON-PC prospective study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) has been associated with cognitive decline, but results are conflicting. This study describes changes in cognitive performance in patients with prostate cancer, according to ADT, during the first year after prostate cancer diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with prostate cancer treated at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto (n = 366) were evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), before treatment and after 1 year. All baseline evaluations were performed before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and 69.7% of the 1-year assessments were completed after the first lockdown. Cognitive decline was defined as the decrease in MoCA from baseline to the 1-year evaluation below 1.5 standard deviations of the distribution of changes in the whole cohort. Participants scoring below age- and education-specific normative reference values in the MoCA were considered to have cognitive impairment. Age- and education-adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were computed for the association between ADT and cognitive outcomes. RESULTS: Mean MoCA scores increased from baseline to the 1-year evaluation (22.3 versus 22.8, P < 0.001). Cognitive decline was more frequent in the ADT group, and even more after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (aOR 6.81 versus 1.93, P for interaction = 0.233). The 1-year cumulative incidence of cognitive impairment was 6.9% (9.1% before and 3.7% after the pandemic onset), which was higher among patients receiving ADT, but only after the pandemic (aOR 5.53 versus 0.49, P for interaction = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: ADT was associated with worse cognitive performance of patients with prostate cancer, mostly among those evaluated after the first COVID-19 lockdown.

BASIC EDUCATION TEACHERS IN COVID-19 TIMES

This article investigates the conditions of remote and distance work, imposed on basic education teachers, due to the social isolation decreed due to the Pandemic resulting from the spread of COVID-19, which is a virus whose main consequence is severe respiratory failure in an expressive number of patients. The research is justified by the extent of the problem, the impacts and the need to understand this moment of basic education from the perspective of teachers. Thus, the research allows to understand the potential and limits of teaching performance during the pandemic with a view to improving its practice. Methodologically, the research is of an applied nature, with an exploratory and descriptive objective. A structured questionnaire applied in digital format was used as an instrument, distributed according to the snowball technique, within ten days, in which each respondent was invited to pass on the questionnaire to other subjects who practiced teaching in basic education. 272 responses were obtained from teachers working in basic education, constituting a non-probabilistic sample. Data analysis is quali-quantitative. Social isolation significantly affected teachers' personal and professional lives. The intensification of family life proved to be an ambiguous phenomenon. Professional life has also been drastically affected, leading to the need to learn new tools and ways to perform the job, requiring more time and effort. The exercise of professional activities at home also led to the blurring of boundaries between one sphere and another.

The pandemic of the new coronavirus (sars-cov-2) and its repercussions on stigmatization and prejudice

Objective: To reflect on the scenario of the new Coronavirus regarding stigmatization and prejudice towards infected people. Method: Theoretical-philosophical reflection essay. Results: A current and present crisis even in the daily life of health professionals who are on the front line of the production of care with people who have developed COVID-19 and crowded the health units. Panorama that resembles a war, however with invisible and lethal weaponry that emerges in a scenario of deaths, generating fear and anxiety in the entire world population, besides providing social dysfunctions. Conclusion: The discussion about stigmatization refers to the studies of Erving Goffman and the definition of stigma and its repercussion on the identity of the person with distortions and emotional and social impairments, which has influenced the daily lives of people infected by the new coronavirus marked by stigmatization and social prejudice. © 2021 Universidade Federal da Bahia. All rights reserved.