Dear Editor, It has been well established in science that the mouth is an entry and site of replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19). Hence, oral health care and use of broad-spectrum antimicrobial products become relevant.() Recently the use of phthalocyanine derivative mouthwash (PDM), has been investigated, demonstrating in vitro activity in reduction of viral load of SARS-CoV-2, in addition to clinical improvement and less severe disease, with no […]

Dear Editor, A large part of the world’s population has become infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).( ) While most SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals were asymptomatic or presented with mild symptoms, some were severely affected. The most common COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, pneumonia, dyspnea and acute lung injury. Although respiratory symptoms are more frequent, extrapulmonary conditions including coagulation disorders, cardiac injury, kidney failure, and metabolic disorder, can also occur […]

Dear Editor I bring considerations as to the article, “Profile of patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus in Primary Healthcare units.”( ) The importance of prevention and health promotion when related to chronic diseases is well known, making Primary Healthcare decisive and categorical, since it performs basic interventions involving harm reduction and health maintenance. Within the group of chronic diseases,( ) diabetes mellitus and hypertension currently account for the main causes of mortality, a major global public health problem.( ) […]

Dear Editor, Typhoid fever, also known as enteric fever, is a significant public health issue in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).( ) According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 11 to 20 million people across the world fall ill because of typhoid, with mortality of 128,000 to 161,000 individuals each year.( ) The disease, caused by the Gram -negative bacteria Salmonella typhi , is transmitted through the oral consumption of a pathogenic portion of the bacterium, most often via […]

Dear Editor, The infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the host cells occurs by interaction of cleaved viral protein spike with the receptors of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). The presence of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in the salivary glands make them a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2, leading to cell endocytosis and the viral replication cycle. This knowledge is relevant to better understand and develop strategies to mitigate contamination by […]

Dear Editor, After more than one year of the first case of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in Brazil,() race/color disparity among affected individuals has great epidemiological relevance in the country.() In this context, indigenous individuals have shown significant vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2.() A seroprevalence survey for SARS-CoV-2 showed prevalence among natives of 6.4%, which is much higher than among whites (1.4%).() In the United States, an expressive unequal relation has also […]

Dear Editor, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is a highly contagious and pathogenic virus. In December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of a cluster of atypical pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. A few weeks later, in January 2020, Chinese authorities determined that the outbreak was caused by a new coronavirus. To date, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide exceeds 200 million, […]

Dear Editor, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients may experience mental confusion, agitation, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia.(1) Several risk factors have been considered regarding neuropsychiatric complications of COVID-19, many of which are already known to be associated with other mental health problems.(2) […]

Dear Editor, The paper titled “Cardiac tissue engineering: current state-of-the-art materials, cells and tissue formation”,() published in this journal contributed with the discussion on the role of tissue engineering. Challenges from the area involve reaching desirable biological and physical proprieties in biomaterials, such as structures that promote a high efficiency in the delivery of nutrients(-) by supplying the lack of afunctional vascular network- one of the main factors that affect the clinical translation of tissue engineering. […]

Dear Editor, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients who are admitted due to respiratory distress may present gastrointestinal bleeding and thrombotic events, as well as renal, cardiac, hepatic and neurologic complications.() These patients require advanced medical resources and longer length of hospital stay, leading to overburdened hospitals and emergency field hospital construction with massive physician hiring.() In this scenario of human resources scarcity and high risk of transmission, Telemedicine has been a useful tool, helping healthcare providers properly manage complex cases despite […]