Highlights RT-PCR followed by CT shows high sensitivity for detecting COVID-19. Immunological tests should use a combination of IgG and IgM. The genes E and RdRp present high analytical sensitivity to detect the virus. Assays for molecular diagnosis should employ 2-target systems. Studies of diagnostic tests for COVID-19 are of moderate methodological quality.

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Background & aims: COVID-19 is an emergency public health problem of global importance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of foods and nutrients as complementary approaches on the recovery from COVID-19 in 170 countries, especially considering the complexity of the disease and the current scarcity of active treatments. Methods: A retrospective study was performed using the Kaggle database, which links the consumption of various foods with recovery from COVID-19 in 170 countries, using multivariate analysis based on a generalized linear model. Results: The results showed that certain foods had a positive effect on recovery from COVID-19: eggs, fish and seafood, fruits, meat, milk, starchy roots, stimulants, vegetable products, nuts, vegetable oil and vegetables. In general, consumption of higher levels of proteins and lipids had a positive effect on COVID-19 recovery, whereas high consumption of alcoholic beverages had a negative effect. In developed countries, where hunger had been eradicated, the effect of food on recovery from COVID-19 had a greater magnitude than in countries with a higher global hunger index (GHI), where there was almost no identifiable effect. Conclusion: Several foods had a positive effect on COVID-19 recovery in developed countries, especially food groups with a higher content of lipids, proteins, antioxidants and micronutrients (e.g., selenium and zinc). In countries with extreme poverty (high GHI), foods presented little effect on recovery from COVID-19.

In this research, we developed and validated a liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) method for simultaneous quantification of the antituberculosis drugs ethambutol, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and rifampicin in human plasma. Plasma samples spiked with cimetidine (internal standard) were extracted using protein precipitation with acetonitrile containing 1% formic acid. Separation was performed using a C 18 column under flow gradient conditions with water and acetonitrile, both containing 5 mM ammonium formate and 0.1% formic acid. The method was validated according to the ANVISA and US Food and Drug Administration guidelines for bioanalytical method validation. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 0.2-5 μg ml −1 for ethambutol, 0.2-7.5 μg ml −1 for isoniazid, 1-40 μg ml −1 for pyrazinamide and 0.25-2 μg ml −1 for rifampicin, all with adequate precision and accuracy. The method was reproducible, selective and free of carryover and matrix effects.The validated LC-QToF-MS method was successfully applied to real samples and shown to be applicable to future therapeutic and pharmacokinetic monitoring studies. K E Y W O R D Santi-tuberculosis drugs, human plasma, LC-QToF-MS, validation

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