Bowel symptoms associated with coronavirus disease 19 in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe illness

Bowel symptoms, such as diarrhea, have higher prevalence during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The correlation between the severity of these symptoms and their prognosis has not been defined yet. Furthermore, higher prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms after recovery from COVID-19 has been reported. This study aimed to analyze the correlation of potential factors with the severity of diarrhea during COVID-19 and to assess the progression of post-COVID-19 bowel symptoms. This prospective longitudinal cohort included 109 patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 symptoms who were hospitalized from May to July 2021. Patients were interviewed to assess the presence and intensity of bowel symptoms during COVID-19 and 3–6 months after hospital discharge using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale questionnaire. Demographic and clinical data were obtained and their correlations with the intensity of bowel symptoms were examined. The presence of severe diarrhea was correlated with the need for ventilatory support and the use of anticoagulants but not with the use of antibiotics. In addition, bowel symptoms, such as loose stools and incomplete evacuation but not diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain, persisted for at least 3–6 months after hospital discharge. These results suggest that the severity of diarrhea during COVID-19 may be associated with worsening of the disease and that only loose stools and incomplete evacuation are present after COVID-19. The chronicity of these bowel symptoms should be evaluated to improve the treatment of patients with COVID-19

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora