A team from the Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute, one of the Pequeno Príncipe Complex units, is part of the “COVID Human Genetic Effort”, a worldwide effort of researchers who seek to understand, through genetic analysis, why some people develop severe forms of COVID-19 even though they are not part of the risk group. “It is a collaborative project that brings together immunologists from all over the world. We want to understand how and why some people are more susceptible than others to develop the severe form of the disease, as we see more and more deaths of young and apparently healthy people,” explains the project coordinator at the institution, Carolina Prando.

Two Brazilian teams are taking part in the initiative. The team of immunologist Carolina will coordinate the work in the three states of the Brazil’s South region. “As winter is more severe here and we have many respiratory infections caused by other viruses in this time of the year, we imagine that the demands of this region will be greater,” she says. The other team is from the University of São Paulo (USP) and will bring data from other Brazilian states.

This is one of the subjects of the 2^nd edition of Pequeno Príncipe News – Special edition COVID-19, that also presents a report about a series of training courses related to the coronavirus that has been held since the beginning of February at the Pequeno Príncipe Hospital. All subjects were aligned with the team of the Service of Epidemiology and Hospital Infection Control (SEHIC) and with the Coronavirus Contingency Committee. By the end of March, around one thousand professionals were trained by the teams of SEHIC, Nursing Continuing Education and Pequeno Príncipe Realistic Simulation Center.

 

COVID-19 Report
At last, this edition of Pequeno Príncipe News presents a report about the patient care offered to boys and girls with suspected of the disease. Since March 4 until April 11, the Pequeno Príncipe Hospital investigated 61 patients with suspect of COVID-19, and four cases have been confirmed. Children are doing fine and being assisted by the Hospital staff.

Click here and read the full-length articles in the 2^nd edition of Pequeno Príncipe News – Special edition COVID-19.