The spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil: Brazil has been hard-hit by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Candido et al. combined genomic and epidemiological analyses to investigate the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in the country. By setting up a network of genomic laboratories using harmonized protocols, the researchers found a 29% positive rate for SARS-CoV-2 among collected samples. More than 100 international introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into Brazil were identified, including three clades introduced from Europe that were already well established before the implementation of NPIs and travel bans. The virus spread from urban centers to the rest of the country, along with a 25% increase in the average distance traveled by air passengers before travel bans, despite an overall drop in short-haul travel. Unfortunately, the evidence confirms that current interventions remain insufficient to keep virus transmission under control in Brazil. Science , this issue p. 1255

Background: A new SARS-CoV-2 lineage, named P.1 (20J/501Y.V3), has recently been detected in Brazil. Mutations accrued by the P.1 lineage include amino acid changes in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein that also are reported in variants of concern in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7) and South Africa (B.1.325). Methods: We isolated two P.1-containing specimens from nasopharyngeal and bronchoalveolar lavage samples of patients of Manaus, Brazil. We measured neutralization of the P.1 virus after incubation with the plasma of 19 COVID-19 convalescent blood donors and recipients of the chemically-inactivated CoronaVac vaccine and compared these results to neutralization of a SARS-CoV-2 B-lineage previously circulating in Brazil. Findings: The immune plasma of COVID-19 convalescent blood donors had 6-fold less neutralizing capacity against the P.1 than against the B-lineage. Moreover, five months after booster immunization with CoronaVac, plasma from vaccinated individuals failed to efficiently neutralize P.1 lineage isolates. Interpretation: These data indicate that the P.1 lineage may escape from neutralizing antibodies generated in response to polyclonal stimulation against previously circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2. Funding: São Paulo Research Foundation, MCTI/FINEP, Medical Research Council, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, National Institutes of Health. Conflict of Interest: M.S.D. is a consultant for Inbios, Vir Biotechnology, NGMBiopharmaceuticals, and Carnival Corporation, and on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Moderna and Immunome. The Diamond laboratory has received funding support in sponsored research agreements from Moderna, Vir Biotechnology, and Emergent BioSolutions. Ethical Approval: All procedures followed the ethical standards of the responsible committee on humanexperimentation and approved by the ethics committees from the University of Campinas, Brazil (Approval number CONEP 4.021.484 for plasma collection of blood donors, CAEE32078620.4.0000.5404 and 30227920.9.0000.5404 for the sampling of vaccinated and viral genome sequencing, respectively). All patient data were anonymized before study inclusion.Informed consent was obtained from all subjects for being included in the study.

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), severely affects mainly individuals with pre-existing comorbidities. Here our aim was to correlate the mTOR (mammalian/mechanistic Target of Rapamycin) and autophagy pathways with the disease severity. Through western blotting and RNA analysis, we found increased mTOR signaling and suppression of genes related to autophagy, lysosome, and vesicle fusion in Vero E6 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 as well as in transcriptomic data mining of bronchoalveolar epithelial cells from severe COVID-19 patients. Immunofluorescence co-localization assays also indicated that SARS-CoV-2 colocalizes within autophagosomes but not with a lysosomal marker. Our findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 can benefit from compromised autophagic flux and inhibited exocytosis in individuals with chronic hyperactivation of mTOR signaling.

Respiratory Viral Shedding in Healthcare Workers Reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, Brazil, 2020

Genital warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are the most common sexually transmitted disease leading to anogential lesions. Although the laser therapy has been shown to be effective in a number of conditions, the use of laser diode vaporization in urological applications and the understanding on its effectiveness as a treatment for various urological conditions is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of diode laser vaporization as a treatment for genital lesions. Patients presenting with genital lesions at the urology outpatient clinic at Coronel Mota Hospital, between March 2008 and October 2014, were enrolled into the study. Data collected included age, gender, duration of the lesion, site of the lesion and numbers of the lesions, length of follow-up, recurrence of lesions after treatment and whether there were any complications. A total of 92 patients were enrolled in the study; 92.4% (n = 85) male; mean age (± SD) 27.92 ± 8.272 years. The patients presented with a total of 296 lesions, with a median of 3 lesions each, including penis (n = 78), urethra (n = 4) lesions, and scrotum (n = 2) lesions. Lesions ranged in size from 0.1 to 0.5 cm2, most commonly 0.3 cm2 (n = 38; 41.3%), 0.4 cm2 (n = 21; 22.8%) or 0.5 cm2 (n = 20; 21.7%). Patients most commonly reported that they had their lesions for a duration of 12 (n = 29; 31.5%) or 6 months (n = 23; 25.0%). Eighteen patients (19.6%) had a recurrence after their 1st/conventional treatment. There were no incidences of post–operative infection or complications from the laser diode vaporization. Laser diode vaporization can be considered as an alternative method for treating genital lesions in urology, with satisfactory results in terms of pain, aesthetic and minimal recurrence.

Leiomyoma in the urethra is a rare occurrence. These are rare benign mesenchymal tumors that arise from the smooth muscle of the urethra. Such tumors often appear in females during their reproductive age (from menarche to menopause); the mean age of their appearance is approximately 41 years. We report here a case of a 52-year-old White woman who presented with complaints of sporadic hematuria, dyspareunia, and feeling of nodulation in her vagina. Histopathological studies confirmed the urethral leiomyoma, and the surgery completely resolved the original symptoms. Although the average age of occurrence of such tumors in females is about 41 years, the present case involves an older woman of 52 years. Most importantly, the mass was located in the distal urethra, an uncommon site of presentation of leiomyoma in females.