Continuing work in times of COVID-19: Protection measures in the workplace for health professionals.

BACKGROUND: The arrival of COVID-19 in Brazil and the accelerated process of dissemination/contamination added to the evolution of the clinical picture of the disease, and the saturation of the capacity of health services, creating new challenges for researchers, governments, and professionals involved in the occupational health area. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to systematize and synthesize the proposals adopted by the legislation and by the Brazilian State, with a focus on worker protection and guaranteeing a safe work environment for the performance of their professional activities. METHODS: This is qualitative bibliographical research of the narrative literature review type, developed from October 2020 to June 2021 in legislation databases using the strategy: "COVID-19" AND "coronavirus/coronavirus" AND "worker health" on official Brazilian government websites. RESULTS: The lack of an emergency plan for efficient actions to respond to the epidemic caused and is still causing the daily deaths of workers. CONCLUSION: There is a need to guarantee the effectiveness of national and international policies and norms that have been neglected by the Brazilian government.

Incidência da COVID-19 e fatores associados: uma analise segundo diagnóstico laboratorial / Incidence of COVID-19 and Associated Factors: An Analysis According to Laboratory Diagnosis / Incidencia del COVID-19 y factores asociados: un análisis según diagnóstico de laboratorio

Introdução: o rastreamento de casos através dos testes para detecção da COVID-19 é indispensável para controlar/retardar a propagação da doença. Objetivo: identificar a incidência da COVID-19 segundo positividade dos testes rápidos e os fatores associados na população do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Método: estudo transversal, desenvolvido com 121.622 indivíduos notificados e residentes no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, de março a junho de 2020, a partir de dados de domínio público. Para a análise considerou-se como desfecho a positividade para os testes rápidos da COVID-19. Análises bivariadas foram realizadas para identificar associação entre a positividade dos testes rápidos com variáveis demográficas, clínicas e tempo transcorrido entre início dos sintomas e realização dos testes. Além disso, foram também calculadas odds ratio, e seus respectivos intervalos de confiança ao nível de 95 %, e p-valor apresentado a partir do método de Wald. Resultados: predomínio de indivíduos do sexo masculino, 51 %, na faixa etária de 20 a 39 anos, 46,4 % e profissionais de saúde, 99,9 %. No que se refere ao tempo transcorrido entre o início dos sinais e sintomas clínicos e o diagnóstico, observa-se que 61,7 % indivíduos que fizeram os testes com até 9 dias de início de sintomas apresentaram um resultado positivo. Sexo, faixa etária e tempo para a realização do teste foram associadas a positividade para o teste rápido da COVID-19. Conclusão: é importante minimizar os resultados de teste falso-positivos escolhendo um ensaio com alta especificidade e testando populações e indivíduos no período oportuno.

Introduction: case tracking through COVID-19 screening tests is indispensable to control/delay the spread of the disease. Objective: to identify the incidence of COVID-19 through the positivity of rapid tests and associated factors in the population of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods: cross-sectional study, developed with 121,622 individuals notified and residing in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, from March to June 2020, from public domain data. For the analysis, positive results in COVID-19 rapid tests were considered. Bivariate analyses were performed to identify the association between the positive result in the rapid tests and demographic and clinical variables and the time elapsed between the onset of symptoms and the performance of the test. Likewise, odds ratios and their respective confidence intervals were calculated at the 95% level, and the p-value presented through the Wald method. Results: predominance of male individuals, 51%; in the age range of 20 to 39 years, 46,4%; and health professionals, 99,9%. Regarding the time elapsed between the onset of clinical signs and symptoms and diagnosis, 61,7% of the individuals who were tested up to 9 days after the onset of symptoms had a positive result. Sex, age group and time to test were associated with a positive result for the COVID-19 rapid test. Conclusion: it is important to minimize false-positive test results by choosing an assay with high specificity and testing populations and individuals in a timely manner.

Introducción: el rastreo de casos a través de pruebas de detección de COVID-19 es indispensable para controlar/retardar la propagación de la enfermedad. Objetivo: identificar la incidencia del COVID-19 por medio de la positividad de las pruebas rápidas y factores asociados en la población del estado de Rio Grande del Sur, Brasil. Método: estudio transversal, desarrollado con 121.622 individuos notificados y residentes en el estado de Rio Grande del Sur, de marzo a junio de 2020, a partir de datos de dominio público. Para el análisis se consideraron los resultados positivos en las pruebas rápidas de COVID-19. Se realizaron análisis bivariados para identificar la asociación entre el resultado positivo en las pruebas rápidas y variables demográficas, clínicas y tiempo transcurrido entre el inicio de los síntomas y la realización de la prueba. Igualmente, se calcularon razones de probabilidad y sus respectivos intervalos de confianza a nivel de 95%, y el p-valor presentado a través del método de Wald. Resultados: predominio de individuos de sexo masculino, 51%; en la franja etaria de 20 a 39 años, 46,4%; y profesionales de la salud, 99,9 %. En lo que se refiere al tiempo transcurrido entre el comienzo de señales y síntomas clínicos y el diagnóstico, se observa que 61,7 % de los individuos que se practicaron la prueba con hasta 9 días del inicio de los síntomas presentaron un resultado positivo. Sexo, grupo etario y tiempo para la realización de la prueba se asociaron al resultado positivo para la prueba rápida de COVID-19. Conclusión: es importante minimizar los resultados de la prueba falso-positivos eligiendo un ensayo con alta especificidad y analizando poblaciones e individuos en el período oportuno.

Limiting factors of face shield use for health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-COV2, a highly transmissible and pathogenic viral infection, and was identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Three months later, it became a severe pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To identify scientific evidence on the use of face shields by health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic period. METHOD: An integrative literature review of articles obtained from PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Web of Science databases was undertaken. For the search, controlled, non-controlled descriptors and specific keywords: "face shield," "fluid resistance procedure," "respiratory infections," "healthcare workers," "COVID-19," "aerosols," and "personal protection infection" were used. RESULTS: The sample comprised seven studies. The available evidence has shown that face shields do not have a defined standard for their production-their effectiveness depends on the quality of the visor, structure, and fixation system. They must be used as adjuvants to other personal protective equipment (PPE), and their isolated use is not recommended due to the fragilities of peripheral face sealing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic period. CONCLUSION: Due to the shortage of this equipment, domestic face shields can be indicated if they meet production requirements, based on scientific evidence for their efficient use.

A Systematic Review of Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Instruments for the Selection of Assistive Technologies.

This article presents a systematic review, for which research was carried out in the following electronic databases: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ERIC, in which several articles were found (n = 560). The results were analyzed based on the information obtained in the titles and abstracts, and the remaining studies were read in full for the analysis. The aim of this article was to identify the different questionnaires used for selecting items of assistive technology, describe and evaluate the translation and transcultural adaptation procedures, characterize the thematic domains of each resource, evaluate the cultural adaptation process adopted, and describe the psychometric properties. Data extraction and evaluation of the methodological quality of the eligible studies were performed in accordance with the COSMIN verification list with a checklist of 4 points. The publication of systematic review studies and others that synthesize research results is fundamental to provide support for change in the behavior of professionals in the field of health, and not only to access the available literature but also to incorporate this information into daily clinical practice. The results of this review could provide subsidies that would enable the planning, execution, identification, and choice of specific instruments for a determined study within the context of assistive technology, with a view to helping researchers and health professionals in clinical and investigatory practices.