As early as December 2019 in the province of Hubei, China, contamination of patients with pneumonia of an unknown etiology occurred. These patients presented with symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, malaise, diarrhea, high fever, and dyspnea. This emerging disease was named COVID-19 due to being part of the group of coronaviruses (CoVs) belonging to the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, in the Coronaviridae family and in the Nidovirales order. COVID-19 is most commonly transmitted through speech, coughing, sneezing, and salivary sputum. Because dental professionals work closely with the oral cavity, it is imperative that infection prevention controls are strictly adhered to. It is important that the dental profession treats patients while also limiting the possible contamination through the production of aerosol in the dental environment. Furthermore, the dental professional also has a key role in raising awareness and guidance amongst the population concerning COVID-19 related biosafety measures. This literature review aims to inform dental professionals about the COVID-19 pandemic and to present the implications of the virus to the dentist. Dental professionals are considered to be at high risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2.

Introduction: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) corresponds to an adverse effect of the use of drugs such as bisphosphonates and denosumab. This condition is often associated with pain, infection, purulent secretion, paraesthesia, tooth mobility and halitosis, decreasing the patient’s quality of life. The management of MRONJ tends to be conservative, through the guidance of oral hygiene, antibiotic therapy and mouthwashes. However, the use of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has shown promise in the treatment of these injuries. The purpose of this article is to report a case of MRONJ treatment associated with aPDT. Case Report: A 75-year-old patient, with a history of breast cancer and use of intravenous Zoledronic Acid, presented with bilateral MRONJ lesions in tuberosity on the right and left sides. Treatment was conservatively instituted with the use of aPDT as an adjuvant. After 12 aPDT sessions, complete regression of the lesion was observed. However, after two weeks, the presence of a new lesion was noted, this time in the anterior region of the maxilla. The same protocol previously established was followed and after two aPDT sessions, the patient returned with complete lesion regression. Conclusion: The use of aPDT may represent an important adjuvant within a set of clinical protocols in the treatment of MRONJ.

The chronology of COVID-19 infections shows us that the first cases were reported in December 2019. A number of patients were admitted to hospitals with a respiratory disease of an unknown etiology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The patients presented symptoms such as coughing, persistent fever, sore throat and pneumonia. The respiratory infection situation got worse rapidly and had a very fast spread. Soon after, it was reported that the causing agent of the disease had been confirmed as the novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which belongs to the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, of the family Coronaviridae in the order Nidovirales. On January 7, 2020, the disease was named as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization (WHO). Chloroquine (CQ), Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Remdesivir, Heparin, Convalescent Plasma, Corticosteroid, Anticoagulants, Lopinavir, Ritonavir, Ivermectin and Nitazoxanide are some of the drugs on the market that are being tested to combat COVID-19. The purpose of this literature review is to analyze studies regarding the healing potential of these drugs for COVID-19.  Some researchers about the effectiveness of these medications, the success rate on viral diseases and its action potential by different mechanisms. Thus, given the researches analyzed in this study, it was evident for most authors that these drugs are promising treatments for COVID-19, while the vaccine is not manufactured and available.

INTRODUÇÃO:O posicionamento político do Brasil perante a crise sanitária da COVID-19 enfrentou dificuldades na obtenção das vacinas, principalmente no ano de 2021 com o atraso das negociações. Em Pernambuco foi necessário elaborar plano operacional para determinar os grupos prioritários que precisavam completar o esquema de duas doses preconizadas pela Anvisa a fim de reduzir a mortalidade pelo novo coronavírus. OBJETIVOS: O presente estudo buscou analisar a evolução da taxa de imunizados que aguardavam a segunda dose da COVID-19 entre os grupos prioritários em Pernambuco, durante os meses de junho a agosto de 2021. METODOLOGIA: Para tal, foi realizado um levantamento de dados secundários da Secretaria Estadual de Saúde de Pernambuco, por meio do portal da transparência da vacinação. Foram extraídos os valores quantitativos de primeira e segunda doses dos doze grupos prioritários a fim de determinar o quantitativo de doses restantes para vacinação completa em duas doses de Sinovac/Butantan, AstraZeneca/Fiocruz e Pfizer/Wyeth. RESULTADOS: De um modo geral houve redução de 25,47% da espera pela segunda dose nos grupos prioritários. Dos doze grupos prioritários, apenas as pessoas com deficiência institucionalizadas apresentavam aumento da espera pela segunda dose (27,64%). As maiores reduções da espera pela segunda dose correspondem aos grupos de população privada de liberdade (91,98%), quilombolas (80,02%) e comorbidade (50,77%). Os povos indígenas aldeados, as pessoas com deficiência institucionalizadas, os idosos institucionalizados e os trabalhadores da saúde já apresentavam uma baixa taxa de imunizados que aguardam a segunda dose em períodos anteriores a junho de 2021. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo permitiu entender a partir do recorte temporal como ocorreu o progresso da vacinação diante de uma situação de crise sanitária em que não havia vacina suficiente para a população. As dificuldades dos municípios em entrar em contato com os usuários, a distância até os pontos de vacinação, a distribuição irregular das vacinas podem sugerir diferenças significativas no cumprimento do esquema vacinal entre grupos populacionais. Dessa forma os estudos podem sugerir adequações para o planejamento e operacionalização de emergências sanitárias.