COVID-19 and isolation: Risks and implications in the scenario of new variants.

With the emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2, questions about transmissibility, vaccine efficacy, and impact on mortality are important to support decision-making in public health measures. Modifications related to transmissibility combined with the fact that much of the population has already been partially exposed to infection and/or vaccination, have stimulated recommendations to reduce the isolation period for COVID-19. However, these new guidelines have raised questions about their effectiveness in reducing contamination and minimizing impact in work environments. Therefore, a collaborative task force was developed to review the subject in a non-systematic manner, answering questions about SARS-CoV-2 variants, COVID-19 vaccines, isolation/quarantine periods, testing to end the isolation period, and the use of masks as mitigation procedures. Overall, COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe illness and death but are less effective in preventing infection in the case of the Omicron variant. Any strategy that is adopted to reduce the isolation period should take into consideration the epidemiological situation of the geographical region, individual clinical characteristics, and mask for source control. The use of tests for isolation withdrawal should be evaluated with caution, due to results depending on various conditions and may not be reliable.

COVID-19 and isolation: Risks and implications in the scenario of new variants

Abstract With the emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2, questions about transmissibility, vaccine efficacy, and impact on mortality are important to support decision-making in public health measures. Modifications related to transmissibility combined with the fact that much of the population has already been partially exposed to infection and/or vaccination, have stimulated recommendations to reduce the isolation period for COVID-19. However, these new guidelines have raised questions about their effectiveness in reducing contamination and minimizing impact in work environments. Therefore, a collaborative task force was developed to review the subject in a non-systematic manner, answering questions about SARS-CoV-2 variants, COVID-19 vaccines, isolation/quarantine periods, testing to end the isolation period, and the use of masks as mitigation procedures. Overall, COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe illness and death but are less effective in preventing infection in the case of the Omicron variant. Any strategy that is adopted to reduce the isolation period should take into consideration the epidemiological situation of the geographical region, individual clinical characteristics, and mask for source control. The use of tests for isolation withdrawal should be evaluated with caution, due to results depending on various conditions and may not be reliable.

Avaliação de alternativas e delineamento de estratégias para a gestão da incorporação de tecnologias associadas à prevenção secundária e ao tratamento da fratura de fêmur osteoporótica em mulheres / Evaluation of alternatives and design of strategies for the management of technologies associated with the incorporation of secondary prevention and treatment of femur fractures in osteoporotic women

Trata-se de uma avaliação tecnológica parcial da prevenção secundária da fratura de fêmur osteoporótica, através de screening com densitometria óssea e drogas antiosteoporóticas, comparada com a alternativa expectante, com relação a mulheres de 65 anos ou mais; essas alternativas foram complementadas ou por cuidado regular, corrente no SUS, ou pela atenção dispensada no Instituto Nacional de Traumatologia e Ortopedia – INTO, considerada de excelência, incluindo, de rotina, o cuidado reabilitativo hospitalar e domiciliar. Mais que selecionar as alternativas mais efetivas para a gestão da atenção ao problema fratura osteoporótica de fêmur, o estudo teve a finalidade de fornecer subsídios para a condução de análises subseqüentes de custo- efetividade e de custo-utilidade. Duas análises de decisão, complementares, foram elaboradas para desenvolver o estudo; elas foram baseadas em um modelo subjacente da história clínica da fratura osteoporótica de fêmur. (...) Para melhor comparar a efetividade técnica do SUS e do INTO é imprescindível uma análise da estrutura de risco dos respectivos pacientes e o correspondente ajuste, o que não foi possível, dado a limitação dos dados disponíveis no SIH-SUS. Também, para melhor comparar as alternativas de prevenção secundária e expectante, dos pontos de vista do SUS e da sociedade, é necessária a condução de análises de custo efetividade e de custo-utilidade, considerando a avaliação da efetividade com o ajuste de risco, de forma a subsidiar o gestor do SUS quanto à melhor alternativa, daqueles pontos de vista, na tomada de decisão quanto à oportunidade do uso de recursos escassos na melhoria da efetividade técnica e eficiência do SUS em relação ao problema fratura de fêmur osteoporótica.

The present study constitutes a partial health technology assessment ofsecondary prevention of osteoporotic hip fractures through screening, composed by bone densitometry and antiosteoporotic drugs, compared with the expectant alternative, regarding women ≥ 65 year old; those alternatives were complemented by either average care or special care for the corresponding hip fractures. Other than selecting the most effective strategies for the management of the problem osteoporotic hip fractures, the present study had the purpose of providing information to conduct costeffectiveness and cost-utility analyses. Two decision analyses were elaborated to carry out the study; they were based on a previously designed subjacent model of the clinical history of osteoporotic fractures. ... The study showed that the average overall hospital mortality rates as well as theaverage hospital mortality according to sex and according to age strata at the Brazilian public Health System were lower than those observed at the National Institute. However, these results do not probably reflect differences in effectiveness of hospitalplus rehabilitative care as many other powerful prognostic factors, such as interval time between fracture and hospital admission, as well as comorbidities, were not taken intoaccount to adjust the outcomes because they are not registered by the Brazilian Hospital Information System- SIH/SUS.