Although most coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections are mild, some patients have severe clinical conditions requiring hospitalization. Data on the severity of COVID-19 in Brazil are scarce and are limited to public databases. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 in a cohort of hospitalized adults from two hospitals in Northeast Brazil. Patients over 18 years of age who were hospitalized between August 2020 and July 2021 with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included. The patients were classified into two groups: moderate and severe. Clinical, laboratory and imaging parameters were collected and compared between the groups. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine the predictors of COVID-19 severity. This study included 495 patients (253 moderate and 242 severe). A total of 372 patients (75.2%) were between 18 and 65 years of age, and the majority were male (60.6%; n = 300). Patients with severe disease had higher levels of leukocytes, neutrophils, platelets, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, blood glucose, C-reactive protein, ferritin, D-dimer, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, and urea (p < 0.05). In multivariate logistic regression, the following variables were significant predictors of COVID-19 severity: leukocytes (odds ratio [OR] 3.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12-5.06), international normalized ratio (INR) (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33), and urea (OR 4.03; 95% CI 2.21-7.35). The present study identified the clinical and laboratory factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized Brazilian individuals.

Arthropod-borne viral diseases are acute febrile illnesses, sometimes with chronic effects, that can be debilitating and even fatal worldwide, affecting particularly vulnerable populations. Indigenous communities face not only the burden of these acute febrile illnesses, but also the cardiovascular complications that are worsened by urbanization. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an Indigenous population in the Northeast Region of Brazil to explore the association between arboviral infections (dengue, chikungunya, and Zika) and cardiac biomarkers, including cardiotrophin 1, growth differentiation factor 15, lactate dehydrogenase B, fatty-acid-binding protein 3, myoglobin, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, cardiac troponin I, big endothelin 1, and creatine kinase-MB, along with clinical and anthropometric factors. The study included 174 individuals from the Fulni-ô community, with a median age of 47 years (interquartile range 39.0 to 56.0). High rates of previous exposure to dengue, chikungunya, and Zika were observed (92.5%, 78.2%, and 95.4% anti-IgG, respectively), while acute exposure (anti-IgM) remained low. The biomarkers were linked to age (especially in the elderly), obesity, chronic kidney disease, and previous or recent exposure to chikungunya. This study pioneers the use of Luminex xMAP technology to reveal the association between cardiac inflammatory biomarkers and exposure to classical arboviruses in an Indigenous population undergoing urbanization.

There is a lack of studies evaluating the oral health of traditional indigenous communities in Brazil.

Objective: To understand the perception of nursing mothers about the influence of the social support network in the promotion of breastfeeding. Method: This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach, having as participants the mothers assisted in the Family Health Strategy. For data collection, the semi-structured interview was used as a technique. A total of 18 nursing mothers participated in the research, who were included based on the following criteria: having a child up to 6 months old, being breastfed or not, and having had adequate prenatal care. Results: The analysis of the material collected allowed the emergence of 3 categories: Breastfeeding: miscellany of feelings and culture; The family support network: challenges, difficulties and limits; The role of nursing within the support network and the success of breastfeeding. Final considerations: It showed that most participants did not receive guidance on breastfeeding during prenatal care, which can often discourage the process after delivery. Objetivo: Compreender a percepção de nutrizes acerca da influência da rede de apoio social na promoção do aleitamento materno. Método: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo com abordagem qualitativa, tendo como participantes as mães atendidas na Estratégia Saúde da Família. Para coleta de dados foi utilizada como técnica, a entrevista semiestruturada. Participaram da pesquisa 18 nutrizes que foram incluídas a partir dos critérios: ter filho de até 6 meses, estando em amamentação ou não, e ter realizado o pré-natal adequado. Resultados: A análise do material coletado permitiu o surgimento de 3 categorias: A amamentação: miscelânia de sentimentos e cultura; A rede de apoio familiar: desafios, dificuldades e limites; O papel da enfermagem dentro da rede de apoio e do sucesso da amamentação. Considerações finais: Demonstrou que as participantes, em sua maioria, não receberam uma orientação sobre amamentação durante o pré-natal, o que pode muitas vezes desestimular o processo após o parto.