Epidemic curves and the profile of patients hospitalized by COVID-19 in a border region.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the epidemic curves and analyze the epidemiological profile of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a triple border city. METHOD: descriptive-quantitative. The population consisted of COVID-19 cases that required hospitalization, analyzing variables such as: age, gender, race/color, city where they lived, occupation, pregnant woman, institutionalized patient and evolution. Descriptive statistical analysis and analysis of variance and chi-square tests were used. RESULTS: four epidemic curves were identified in the studied period. Among hospitalized cases, males predominated (55%). Cure was the most frequent outcome in curves 1, 2 and 4, but with no statistical difference (p = 0.2916). Curve 3 showed a higher frequency of deaths (41.70%) in relation to cures (38.77%). The mean ages were significantly different between the curves, with curve 4 having the lowest mean age. CONCLUSION: it was concluded that the epidemic curves were influenced by different situations; unvaccinated population, easing of restrictive measures, reopening of the Brazil-Paraguay border, interruption of control actions, crowding of people and circulation of new variants of the disease. Through the epidemiological profile of hospitalized patients, it was concluded that being male, of mixed race/color, aged between 61 and 85 years, and being deprived of freedom were associated with hospitalization and the occurrence of death.

Vivência e expectativas de doulas em região brasileira de fronteira / Experience and expectations of doulas in a Brazilian border region

RESUMO O estudo buscou compreender a vivência e as expectativas das doulas que atuam ou atuaram em dois municípios de região de fronteira: Foz do Iguaçu e Cascavel, Paraná, Brasil. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa pautada no referencial da Fenomenologia Social. A coleta das informações deu-se por entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado em língua portuguesa. As entrevistas foram feitas on-line. Os resultados foram classificados em seis categorias: motivação para tornar-se doula, conhecimento sobre o papel da doula, o cotidiano das doulas, abarcando as subcategorias de experiências exitosas e desafios da atividade na região de fronteira, a invisibilidade da doulagem, as expectativas enquanto doulas frente ao cenário obstétrico e o esperado da sua atuação profissional. O estudo permitiu compreender a vivência das doulas e o conhecimento do papel da sua função no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), no setor privado e em partos domiciliares, evidenciando a importância da atuação multiprofissional. Foram ponderadas resistências no cenário obstétrico por desconhecimento dos profissionais da assistência sobre o papel da doula. Em relação à atuação na região de fronteira, as doulas relataram o acompanhamento de mulheres paraguaias no Brasil e, com menos frequência, no Paraguai. As barreiras culturais e linguísticas foram destacadas como obstáculos para o exercício profissional em outro país.

ABSTRACT The study sought to understand the experience and expectations of doulas who worked or worked in two municipalities in the border region: Foz do Iguaçu and Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil. This was a qualitative research based on the framework of Social Phenomenology. The collection of information took place through interviews with a semi-structured script in Portuguese. The interviews were done online. The results were classified into six categories: motivated to become a doula, knowledge about the role of the doula, the daily life of the doulas, covering the subcategories of successful experiences and challenges of the activity in the border region, the invisibility of the doula, the expectations as doulas facing the obstetric scenario and what is expected of their professional performance. The study made it possible to understand the experience of doulas and knowledge of the role of their role in the Unified Health System (SUS), in the private sector and in home births, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary action. Resistance in the obstetric scenario was considered due to the lack of knowledge on the part of care professionals about the role of the doula. Regarding work in the border region, the doulas reported accompanying Paraguayan women in Brazil and, less frequently, in Paraguay. Cultural and linguistic barriers were highlighted as reasons that make professional practice in another country unfeasible.

Intervenções não farmacológicas como medidas de enfrentamento à pandemia de Covid-19 em município de fronteira / Non-pharmaceutical interventions as measures to tackle Covid-19 pandemic in a border town

As intervenções não farmacológicas são medidas de Saúde Pública que visam reduzir a transmissão de determinada doença. Em Foz do Iguaçu, fronteira entre Brasil, Paraguai e Argentina, a medida foi implementada como barreiras sanitárias objetivando identificar cidadãos sintomáticos respiratórios suspeitos de infecção por Covid-19. Realizou-se a implementação de 17 barreiras sanitárias em pontos estratégicos do município. O processo de monitoramento transcorreu a partir da elaboração de um formulário na ferramenta gratuita Epicollect5, tendo como resultado final o Painel de Monitoramento das Barreiras Sanitárias elaborado na plataforma Google Data Studio. Os resultados foram o aprimoramento da gestão na utilização de ferramentas livres de informação, a identificação dos casos sintomáticos no ato da abordagem nas barreiras sanitárias e a observação do fluxo transfronteiriço nesta região. Conclui-se que a estratégia de implementação e monitoramento das barreiras sanitárias utilizada é qualificada para sistematização e análise das informações em ferramentas livres de análise de dados. (AU)

The non-pharmaceutical interventions are public health measures that aim to reduce disease transmission. At Foz do Iguaçu, border city between Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, were implemented community measures as NPIs that aim to identify people with respiratory diseases symptoms suspected of coronavirus infection. Seventeen community measures were implemented in city strategic points. The monitoring process was carried out after data collection with a form created in the free tool Epicollect5, resulting in a Community Measure Monitoring Report developed in the Google Data Studio platform. The results were the management improvement in the use of information free tools, symptomatic cases identification in the inquiry and the cross-border flow observation in this region. In conclusion, implementation and monitoring strategies used are qualified to data analysis and systematization community measures data using free tools for data analysis. (AU)