Cognitive Complaints Assessment and Neuropsychiatric Disorders After Mild COVID-19 Infection.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze cognitive impairment associated with long-term coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome and its correlation with anxiety, depression, and fatigue in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 127 patients with COVID-19. Tests to screen for neuropsychiatric symptoms included the Fatigue Severity Scale, Mini-Mental State Exam 2 (MMSE-2), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: In cognitive tests, SDMT was abnormal in 22%, being more sensitive than MMSE-2 to detect cognitive changes. Furthermore, although manifestations such as fatigue, depression, and anxiety were frequent in the post-COVID-19 phase, these 3 conditions, known to contribute to cognitive impairment, were slightly correlated with worse performance on the rapid screening tests. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with mild COVID-19 and cognitive complaints, SDMT helped to confirm disturbances in the attention domain and processing speed.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tertiary care cancer center: Analyzing administrative data.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with cancer need to receive their proper treatment and often cannot wait for their treatment, despite delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many cancer centers have had challenges maintaining their oncological activities. OBJECTIVES: To compare the average hospital management data and indicators in two different periods, with and without the peak of COVID-19 cases, from an important tertiary cancer center in the northeast region of Brazil. METHODS: A retrospective and observational study was performed comparing average hospital administrative data and indicators, between January to March v April to June, 2020 exclusively at the Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco, Brazil. RESULTS: There were on average a 13% reduction in the chemotherapy administered (P = .131), 17% fewer radiotherapy treatments carried out (P = .043) and 41% as many oncologic surgeries undertaken (P = .002). There was a reduction in the number of sessions of out-patient chemotherapy of 8•6% (P = .271) and chemotherapy inpatients of 33% (P = .038). Admission of new cases of patients with cancer was reduced by 44% (P = .007) during the period analyzed. Ambulatory appointments also decreased by 55% (P = .004) and emergency room appointments fell by 7•9% (P = .495). The number of hospitalizations was reduced by 36% (P = .005) and the occupancy rate decreased by 23•6% (P = .003), while the length of individual hospital stays (in days) increased 10•5% (P = .116). CONCLUSION: We report a reduction in the number of radiotherapy treatments and surgeries performed cancer carried out, ambulatory and emergency appointments, hospitalization and admission of new cases of cancer during peak of COVID-19 in an important public tertiary cancer center in the northeast region of Brazil.

Higher severity and risk of in-hospital mortality for COVID-19 patients with cancer during the year 2020 in Brazil: A countrywide analysis of secondary data.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and cancer are serious public health problems worldwide. However, little is known about the risk factors of in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients with and without cancer in Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients with and without cancer and to compare mortality according to gender and topography during the year 2020 in Brazil. METHODS: This was a secondary data study of hospitalized adult patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 by real-time polymerase chain reaction testing in Brazil. The data were collected from the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System. RESULTS: This study analyzed data from 322,817 patients. The prevalence of cancer in patients with COVID-19 was 2.3%. COVID-19 patients with neurological diseases and cancer had the most lethal comorbidities in both sexes. COVID-19 patients with cancer were more likely to be older (median age, 67 vs 62 years; P < .001), to have a longer hospital stay (13.1 vs 11.5 days; P < .001), to be admitted to the intensive care unit (45.3% vs 39.6%; P < .001), to receive more invasive mechanical ventilation (27.1% vs 21.9%), and to have a higher risk of death (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.83-2.06; P < .001) than those without cancer. Patients with hematological neoplasia (aOR, 2.85; 95% CI, 2.41-3.38; P < .001) had a higher risk of mortality than those with solid tumors (aOR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.72-1.95; P < .001) in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Brazilian COVID-19 patients with cancer have higher disease severity and a higher risk of mortality than those without cancer.