Studies with strong scientific evidence have demonstrated that comorbidities are associated with fatal outcomes in patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. To aggregate the findings of these studies and assess the magnitude of the effect of different chronic diseases on COVID‐19 mortality, we conducted a systematic review of reviews and meta‐analysis. Six databases were searched to retrieve systematic reviews with meta‐analysis published during the early years of the pandemic. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata v.12.0 software, and the risk ratio (RR) and odds ratio (OR), with a confidence interval of 95% (95% CI), were calculated. We selected 15 publications with 476 original articles and 2,135,888 patients. Our results indicated the following risk factors for COVID‐19 mortality: diabetes mellitus (RR = 1.95; 95% CI:1.41–2.49); hypertension (RR = 1.88; 95% CI:1.51–2.26); cancer (RR = 1.84; 95% CI:1.24–2.43); cardiovascular (RR = 2.14; 95% CI:1.66–2.63), cerebrovascular (RR = 2.43; 95% CI:2.15–2.72), kidney (RR = 2.39; 95% CI:1.36–3.42), pulmonary (RR = 1.98; 95% CI:1.48–2.47) and liver diseases (OR = 1.56; 95% CI:1.18–1.94); obesity (OR = 1.15; 95% CI:1.04–1.26); smoking habits (OR = 1.18; 95% CI:1.13–1.22); and the male sex (OR = 1.69; 95% CI:1.65–1.73). Evidence has confirmed that underlying chronic conditions, which involve an imbalance in the immune response, significantly increase the risk of COVID‐19 deaths.

This clinical case presents a patient with a raised and ulcerative lesion with erythematous edges in the mouth, on the lower lip that was unsuccessfully treated as herpes labialis. Clinical data and laboratory tests (Montenegro skin test, indirect immunofluorescence, direct parasite search and polymerase chain reaction) led to the diagnosis of American tegumentary leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) sp. Treatment with pentavalent antimonial (Glucantime®) for 120 days was not effective and administration of amphotericin B for 30 days resulted in wound healing. Glucantime® treatment protocol was longer than the recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health in the handbook of mucosal leishmaniasis. This suggests that amphotericin B should have been administered earlier, preventing the psychological and social problems faced by the patient. This study reports a rare clinical case of primary mucosal leishmaniasis on the lip that had a delayed diagnosis, highlighting the precariousness in the management of disease and showing that, despite the importance of leishmaniasis in Brazil, it is still neglected by health professionals.

Aim: To review in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies examining the antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties of piperine (PPN). Methods: This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines, an... Graphical abstract