Highlights Sitting time increased in 73.9% of women and 84.9% of men at the onset of the pandemic. Physical activity was practiced by 23.9% of women and 39.6% of men at the onset of the pandemic. The prevalence of both women and men reporting physical mobility difficulties increased at follow-up. Hospitalization rates for reasons unrelated to COVID-19 have increased in both women and men. ABSTRACT Objective: This study analyzed the impact of sex on self-reported health and lifestyle parameters in […]

Highlights Sanitary restriction measures had a strong impact on usual performance indicators from a selected group of private hospitals in Brazil. Pregnancies and deliveries continued to constitute an important proportion of hospital admissions because they did not depend on external restrictions. Hospital costs increased due to increased utilization of more expensive Personal Protection Equipment (due to lack of availability or much higher demand). ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the operational and/or financial impacts of regulatory measures implemented by the National Agency […]

Highlights Teaching method preferences of medical students 162 and teachers 71 were evaluated. Both groups showed high satisfaction and a sense of learning in virtual classes. The virtual method resulted in worse retention of attention. The virtual method also showed higher interference from the external environment.   ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the perceptions of students and teachers regarding remote teaching modality in comparison with the traditional face-to-face method. Methods In this observational, retrospective, comparative, single-center study, questionnaires containing three major […]

Highlights Pool testing is simultaneously performed on multiple samples to efficiently and cost-effectively detect COVID-19. Pool testing can optimize resource utilization and expand diagnostic access, and is a viable alternative for developing countries with limited access to testing. To optimize resources, the pool size was determined by estimating COVID-19 prevalence in the study population. ABSTRACT This study proposes a strategy for large-scale testing among a large number of people for the early diagnosis of COVID-19 to elucidate the epidemiological situation. […]

Highlights ■ The clinico-functional characteristics of post-stroke patients changed in the pandemic. ■ The sociodemographic characteristics of post-stroke patients did not change in the pandemic. ■ Post-stroke patients had a greater stroke severity and disability at the beginning of the pandemic. ■ The occurrence of ischemic stroke increased with the advancement of the pandemic. ABSTRACT Objective To compare the sociodemographic and clinico-functional characteristics of patients admitted to a stroke unit immediately before and during two different COVID-19 pandemic phases. Methods […]

Highlights All kinds of personal protective equipment training decreased the odds of COVID-19 infection among healthcare professionals.۪ We found lower odds of infection in participants who underwent face-to-face simulation-based training.۪ Simulation-based personal protective equipment training is feasible, effective, and safe, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. ABSTRACT Objective To describe the personal protective equipment training strategies during the beginning of the pandemic and to investigate the association between training and COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers. Methods This cross-sectional study conducted between […]

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the pattern of triggering and exacerbation of dermatological diseases between March and July 2020 and to compare this pattern to the corresponding period of 2019. Methods This was a quantitative, descriptive, comparative and documentary study that was carried out through the retrospective analysis of medical records (March to July 2019 and 2020) of individuals assisted at a private dermatology practice service located in the southern area of the city of São Paulo (SP). Results We evaluated […]

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic imposed restrictive measures on dentistry in different regions of the world, ranging from stoppage of care to only permission for urgent and emergency dental services. Thus, new biosafety guidelines for resuming activities, whether in single dental offices, large clinics or dental education activities, are urgently required. In this sense, herein, guidelines that incorporate common points of the main protocols found in the literature for the resumption of dental activities at their different levels, whether in the […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the severity of COVID-19 in cancer patients to describe clinical and epidemiological factors associated with poor outcomes (mortality and need of intensive care unit admission or mechanical ventilation). Methods Retrospective data from patients with cancer and laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19, obtained between March 16 and May 29, 2020, were retrieved out of a cancer center database. Data analyzed included patient history, age, sex, comorbidities, types of cancer and anticancer therapy. Results This sample comprised 105 patients […]

ABSTRACT Ground-glass opacity is a very frequent and unspecified finding in chest computed tomography. Therefore, it admits a wide range of differential diagnoses in the acute context, from viral pneumonias such as influenza virus, coronavirus disease 2019 and cytomegalovirus and even non-infectious lesions, such as vaping, pulmonary infarction, alveolar hemorrhage and pulmonary edema. For this diagnostic differentiation, ground glass must be correlated with other findings in imaging tests, with laboratory tests and with the patients’ clinical condition. In the context […]