Backdrop to the development of Brazil's national COVID-19 immunization plan. / Contexto de elaboração do Plano de Imunização contra COVID-19 no Brasil.

The process of developing Brazil's COVID-19 immunization plan began belatedly and involved a number of experts, including a technical group responsible for defining priority groups for vaccination. This process was permeated by contradictions between the government and researchers. Finally, on 20 January 2021, the government published an updated version of the plan, which remains limited in scope.

O processo de elaboração do Plano de Imunização contra Covid-19 no Brasil se iniciou tardiamente e contou com a participação de especialistas incluindo o grupo técnico responsável pela definição de grupos prioritários para a vacinação. Este processo foi permeado de indefinições entre o Governo Federal e pesquisadores e, finalmente, no dia 20 de janeiro de 2021 foi divulgada a versão atualizada do Plano ainda incipiente no que tange a sua abrangência.

SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence and associated factors: a serial population-based study in Espírito Santo, Brazil, May to June 2020. / Prevalência e fatores associados à infecção por SARS-CoV-2: estudo de base populacional seriado, no Espírito Santo, de maio a junho/2020.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and association of sociodemographic and clinical aspects in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. METHODS: This was a serial cross-sectional study carried out in four phases, using households as the unit of analysis, from May to June 2020. Eleven municipalities were surveyed, with a sample of 4,500 households in each phase. RESULTS: Prevalence ranged from 2.1% (95%CI 1.7;2.5) on May 10 (first phase) to 9.6% (95%CI 8.8;10.4) on June 21 (fourth phase). In the Greater Vitória Metropolitan Region, the prevalence were 2.7% (95%CI 2.2;3.3) in the first phase, and 11.5% (95%CI 10.5;12.6) in the fourth phase; in the interior region of the state, prevalence ranged from 0.4% (95%CI 0.1;0.9) to 4.4% (95%CI 3.2;5.5) between the two phases. CONCLUSION: The increase in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence found in the fourth phase highlighted the high transmission of the virus, information that can support management of the pandemic.

Serological prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among prison system workers in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, 2020. / Prevalência sorológica de infecção por SARS-CoV-2 entre trabalhadores do sistema prisional do Espírito Santo, 2020.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the serological prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among prison system workers in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, between August-September 2020. METHODS: This was a stratified sample survey, using interviews and serological tests for SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Among the 986 interviewers, the serological prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 11.9% (95%CI 8.1%;15.7%) in health professionals, and 22.1% (95%CI 18.8%;25.3%) in prison officers. Positivity was more frequent among health professionals in the north of the state (19.7%) and in male prison officers (24.0%). Among seropositive individuals, fatigue was the most frequent symptom in prison agents (13.4%) and myalgia in health professionals (10.8%); and the most prevalent comorbidities among the seropositive individuals were asthma or bronchitis (16.2%), in health professionals, and hypertension in prison officers (12.8%). CONCLUSION: The serological prevalence of SARS-Cov-2 infection was higher in prison officers, a finding that can support disease control and prevention actions in this scenario.

Living conditions, seroprevalence and symptoms of COVID-19 in slums in the Metropolitan Region of Vitória (Espírito Santo).

OBJECTIVES: to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in residents of the Greater Vitória region living in subnormal and non-subnormal agglomerates, and to compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of total residents (infected and not infected with SARS-CoV-2) between them. METHODS: Population-based prevalence study conducted by serological testing in 2020, with a study unit in households in Greater Vitória, grouped into census tracts classified as sub-normal agglomerates and non-sub-normal agglomerates. The two groups were compared in terms of prevalence and associated factors. The significance level adopted was 5%. RESULTS: The prevalence found in the sub-normal clusters was 12.05% (95%CI 9.59-14.50), and in the non-sub-normal clusters 10.23% (95%CI 7.97-12.50) this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.273). Comparing the sociodemographic characteristics, more people who declare themselves to be of mixed race were found in the sub-normal clusters, a higher percentage of illiterates and people with only elementary education, greater number of residents per household, longer stay in public transportation, sharing a bathroom with another household, fewer bedrooms per residence and higher frequency of irregular water supply when compared to non-sub-normal clusters (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological characteristics of sub-normal clusters' residents show the social inequalities that can hinder control measures in a pandemic situation.