Facing COVID-19: Guidelines for Gypsy People
Authors: Cavalcanti Liane Costa , Goncalves Natalia Santos , Bolognani Fabio , Malfacini Solange da Silva , Silva Jaqueline da , Lage Celso Luiz Salgueiro , Pyrrho Alexandre dos Santos , Varricchio Marcia Cristina Braga Nunes 
Published: November 2024

view of the risk of transmission and contamination by SARS-Cov-2, at the beginning of the pandemic period of the Covid-19 clinical syndrome.

Theoretical reference: The Roma people correspond to an ethnic group with their own language, Romani, flag and anthem recognized by the UN. Historically, they are considered to have originated in India, having gone through diasporas. One of them would have been towards the Iberian Peninsula. However, along with Jews, Arabs and other minority groups, they were also exiled from there and brought to Colonial Brazil. Therefore, their history has remained invisible to the present day, consequently, prejudices and stereotypes are also maintained in the new continent. These socio-cultural determinants impact the health of this population in various aspects. Although there are public policies aimed at health care for the Roma people in Brazil, they are very little known by both, Roma people and health professionals.

Method: This historical record is methodologically presented as a case study because it takes the opportunity to discuss the phenomenology involved in preparing health education materials.

Results and Conclusion: As results, the hand hygiene booklet and the video on movement and rhythm were presented. Next, the communication intentions outlined in figures in the Booklet for the Gypsy People with preventive guidelines for Covid-19 were discussed point by point. These intervention strategies were discussed, highlighting the need-to-know basic cultural aspects so that collective health objectives can be achieved, making the information meaningful to this ethnic group. To achieve this, gypsies from the Gypsy Union of Brazil and people authorized by them to speak about their culture participated: together with students from the Multidisciplinary League of Human Physiology and Pathophysiology (LAFFH/UNIFASE), the Environmental Health, Parasitology, Bioethics Extension Project (SAPB-LIPAT-FF/UFRJ), the Laboratory of Studies on the Aging Process of the Psychosocial Care Program of the Institute of Psychiatry of UFRJ (PROVE-MEPPSO-IPUB/UFRJ), having circulated such information via a smartphone application to gypsies from Rio de Janeiro, other states in the country and even other Latin American countries. The Homeopathy Service of the 7th Ward of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia Hospital in Rio de Janeiro joined this movement of primary health care and psychosocial care via matrix support. It made its health space available for online educational activities, in addition to the Public Health Course of the undergraduate medical school.

Implications of research: All superior educational schools involved extended information to gypsy groups present in the various metropolitan regions of Rio de Janeiro to which they provide services. As a limitation, the limited number of people who gave feedback to health professionals (although they did give feedback to their leaders) is attributed, making it necessary to investigate the phenomenon observed. There is also a need for a pedagogical metric evaluation of the booklet used. The conclusion is that these preliminary activities, prior to the use of mass vaccination for vulnerable groups, are positive, especially given the perceived risk of new outbreaks of Covid-19.

Originality/value: As a contribution, in addition to the preventive information aimed at reducing transmissibility and accidents with 70% alcohol, it was carefully adapted to the cultural aspects of the gypsy people. Therefore, work on primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary prevention for this ethnic group will continue.