SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Epidemiology Can Be Enhanced by Occupational Health: The Experience of Monitoring Variants of Concern in Workplaces in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to extra caution in workplaces to avoid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the occupational environment, SARS-CoV-2 testing is a powerful approach in providing valuable information to detect, monitor, and mitigate the spread of the virus and preserve productivity. Here a centralized Occupational Health Center provided molecular diagnosis and genomic sequences for companies and industries in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From May to August 2021, around 20% of the SARS-CoV-2 positive nasopharyngeal swabs from routinely tested workers were sequenced and reproduced the replacement of Gamma with Delta variant observed in regular surveillance programs. Moreover, as a proof-of-concept on the sensibility of the occupational health genomic surveillance program described here, it was also found: i) the primo-identification of B.1.139 and A.2.5 viral genomes in Brazil and ii) an improved dating of Delta VoC evolution, by identifying earlier cases associated with AY-related genomes. We interpret that SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing of workers, independent of symptom presentation, provides an earlier opportunity to identify variants. Thus, considering the continuous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in workplaces, positive samples from occupation health programs should be regarded as essential to improve the knowledge on virus genetic diversity and VoC emergence.

In vitro antiviral effect of meroditerpenes isolated from the Brazilian seaweed Stypopodium zonale (Dictyotales).

The meroditerpenoids atomaric acid (1), epitaondiol (2) and the peroxylactone of 5'a-desmethyl-5'-acetylatomaric acid (3) were isolated from the Brazilian brown alga Stypopodium zonale collected in two localities (Búzios and Marataízes, RJ and ES States). These compounds showed strong anti-HSV-1 activity in vitro but neither of them inhibited the transcriptase reverse enzyme of HIV-1.

In vitro antiviral diterpenes from the Brazilian brown alga Dictyota pfaffii.

Specimens of Dictyota pfaffii from Atol das Rocas, Northeast Brazil, afforded the rare dolabellane diterpene 10,18-diacetoxy-8-hydroxy-2, 6-dolabelladiene (1) and the new 10-acetoxy-8,18-di-hydroxy-2,6-dolabelladiene (2). Reduction of 1 yielded 8,10,18-trihydroxy-2,6-dolabelladiene (3), also present in the crude ex-tract of D. pfaffii. All three structures were assigned by 1D and 2D NMR spectral data. These substances showed strong anti-HSV-1 activity in vitro but only 3 inhibited the reverse transcriptase enzyme of HIV-1.