Facts and Myths: Efficacies of Repurposing Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 1703-1721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Alim Al-Bari
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
International Health ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Transmission Efficiency ◽  
Rapid Diagnosis ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Potential Efficacy ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The 2019-nCoV first broke out in Wuhan and subsequently spread worldwide owing to its extreme transmission efficiency. The fact that the COVID-19 cases and mortalities are reported globally and the WHO has declared this outbreak as the pandemic, the international health authorities have focused on rapid diagnosis and isolation of patients as well as search for therapies able to counter the disease severity. Due to the lack of known specific, effective and proven therapies as well as the situation of public-health emergency, drug repurposing appears to be the best armour to find a therapeutic solution against 2019-nCoV infection. Repurposing anti-malarial drugs and chloroquine (CQ)/ hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have shown efficacy to inhibit most coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-1 coronavirus. These CQ analogues have shown potential efficacy to inhibit 2019-nCoV in vitro that leads to focus several future clinical trials. This review discusses the possible effective roles and mechanisms of CQ analogues for interfering with the 2019-nCoV replication cycle and infection.

scholarly journals An interim review of the epidemiological characteristics of 2019 novel coronavirus

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e2020006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukhyun Ryu ◽  
Byung Chul Chun
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

OBJECTIVES: The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from Wuhan, China is currently recognized as a public health emergency of global concern.METHODS: We reviewed the currently available literature to provide up-to-date guidance on control measures to be implemented by public health authorities.RESULTS: Some of the epidemiological characteristics of 2019-nCoV have been identified. However, there remain considerable uncertainties, which should be considered when providing guidance to public health authorities on control measures.CONCLUSIONS: Additional studies incorporating more detailed information from confirmed cases would be valuable.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 variants: an overview

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 5148
Author(s):  
Anuj K. Pandey ◽  
Sidharth S. Mishra ◽  
Yogesh Wadgave ◽  
Nidhi Mudgil ◽  
Sonal Gawande ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
International Health ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Health Regulations ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Health Regulations

The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was initially noticed in a seafood market in Wuhan city in Hubei Province of China in mid-December 2019 which has now spread to 223 countries/territories/areas worldwide. World Health Organization (WHO) under International Health Regulations (IHR) has declared this outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 30th January 2020 subsequently declared a pandemic on 11th March 2020.

scholarly journals Readiness and early response to COVID-19: achievements, challenges and lessons learnt in Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. e005581
Author(s):  
Betty Lanyero ◽  
Zewdu Assefa Edea ◽  
Emmanuel Onuche Musa ◽  
Shambel Habebe Watare ◽  
Mayur Lalji Mandalia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
International Health ◽  
Early Response ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Coordination Mechanism ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
High Level

Declaration of the novel coronavirus disease as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern necessitated countries to get ready to respond. Here, we describe key achievements, challenges and lessons learnt during the readiness and early response to COVID-19 in Ethiopia. Readiness activities commenced as early as January 2020 with the activation of a national Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and COVID-19 Incident Management System (IMS) by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute. The COVID-19 IMS conducted rapid risk assessments, developed scenario-based contingency plans, national COVID-19 guidelines and facilitated the enhancement of early warning and monitoring mechanisms. Early activation of a coordination mechanism and strengthening of detection and response capacities contributed to getting the country ready on time and mounting an effective early response. High-level political leadership and commitment led to focused efforts in coordination of response interventions. Health screening, mandatory 14-day quarantine and testing established for all international travellers arriving into the country slowed down the influx of travellers. The International Health Regulations (IHR) capacities in the country served as a good foundation for timely readiness and response. Leveraging on existing IHR capacities in the country built prior to COVID-19 helped slow down the importation and mitigated uncontrolled spread of the disease in the country. Challenges experienced included late operationalisation of a multisectoral coordination platform, shortage of personal protective equipment resulting from global disruption of importation and the huge influx of over 10 000 returnees from different COVID-19-affected countries over a short period of time with resultant constrain on response resources.

The Antiviral and Antimalarial Drug Repurposing in Quest of Chemotherapeutics to Combat COVID-19 Utilizing Structure-Based Molecular Docking

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisir Nandi ◽  
Mohit Kumar ◽  
Mridula Saxena ◽  
Anil Kumar Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
The Novel ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Biochemical Mechanisms ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
In Silico Molecular Docking

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a new strain (SARS-CoV-2) erupted in 2019. Nowadays, it is a great threat that claims uncountable lives worldwide. There is no specific chemotherapeutics developed yet to combat COVID-19. Therefore, scientists have been devoted in the quest of the medicine that can cure COVID- 19. Objective: Existing antivirals such as ASC09/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir with or without umifenovir in combination with antimalarial chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine have been repurposed to fight the current coronavirus epidemic. But exact biochemical mechanisms of these drugs towards COVID-19 have not been discovered to date. Method: In-silico molecular docking can predict the mode of binding to sort out the existing chemotherapeutics having a potential affinity towards inhibition of the COVID-19 target. An attempt has been made in the present work to carry out docking analyses of 34 drugs including antivirals and antimalarials to explain explicitly the mode of interactions of these ligands towards the COVID-19protease target. Results: 13 compounds having good binding affinity have been predicted towards protease binding inhibition of COVID-19. Conclusion: Our in silico docking results have been confirmed by current reports from clinical settings through the citation of suitable experimental in vitro data available in the published literature.

scholarly journals Indoor Environmental Quality in Dwellings and Lifestyle Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Russian Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5975
Author(s):  
Vladimir Reshetnikov ◽  
Oleg Mitrokhin ◽  
Elena Belova ◽  
Victor Mikhailovsky ◽  
Maria Mikerova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Contagious Diseases ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Isolation Index ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, and as a response, public health authorities started enforcing preventive measures like self-isolation and social distancing. The enforcement of isolation has consequences that may affect the lifestyle-related behavior of the general population. Quarantine encompasses a range of strategies that can be used to detain, isolate, or conditionally release individuals or populations infected or exposed to contagious diseases and should be tailored to circumstances. Interestingly, medical students may represent an example of how the COVID-19 pandemic can form new habits and change lifestyle behaviors. We conducted a web-based survey to assess changes in lifestyle-related behavior of self-isolated medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then we analyzed the sanitary-hygienic regulations of the Russian Federation to determine the requirements for healthy buildings. Results showed that during the pandemic, the enforcement of isolation affects medical students’ lifestyle-related behavior and accompanies an increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and healthy buildings are cutting-edge factors in preventing COVID-19 and NCDs. The Russian sanitary-hygienic regulations support improving this factor with suitable requirements for ventilation, sewage, waste management, and disinfection. Herein, assessing isolation is possible through the hygienic self-isolation index.

Using the Weibull distribution to model COVID-19 epidemic data

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-14
Author(s):  
Vitor Hugo Moreau
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Weibull Distribution ◽  
Initial Phase ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Slowing Down ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
Disease Epidemics ◽  
Vaccination Campaigns

COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the new Coronavirus. COVID-19 outbreak is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, declared by WHO, that killed more than 2 million people worldwide. Since there are no specific drugs available and vaccination campaigns are in the initial phase, or even have not begun in some countries, the main way to fight the outbreak worldwide is still based on non-pharmacological strategies, such as the use of protective equipment, social isolation and mass testing. Modeling of the disease epidemics have gained pivotal importance to guide health authorities on the decision making and applying of those strategies. Here, we present the use of the Weibull distribution to model predictions of the COVID-19 outbreak based on daily new cases and deaths data, by non-linear regression using Metropolis-Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations. It was possible to predict the evolution of daily new cases and deaths of COVID-19 in many countries as well as the overall number of cases and deaths in the future. Modeling predictions of COVID-19 pandemic may be of importance on the evaluation of governments and health authorities mitigation procedures, since it allows one to extract parameters that may help to guide those decisions and measures, slowing down the spread of the disease.

scholarly journals The Impact of Covid-19 Public Health Policies on Persons with Disability and their Caregivers in Malta

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-37
Author(s):  
Andrew Camilleri ◽  
Samantha Pace Gasan ◽  
Andrew Azzopardi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Restrictive Measures ◽  
The Impact

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global health pandemic, due to the spread of a novel coronavirus, later named “Covid-19”. The spread of Covid-19 led to social isolation, distancing and a number of restrictive measures in Malta.  The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of Covid-19 and the subsequent restrictive measures on persons with disability and their caregivers and families in Malta. Using thematic analysis, the study found that a variety of impacts ranging from a sense of isolation, lack of essential services being provided, additional difficulties encountered at the place of work and education and measures that were not sufficiently tailored for persons with disability issued by public health authorities. Underlying the additional difficulties brought about by Covid-19, structural difficulties to access essential services as well as ignorance from policy makers and politicians and the added “vulnerable-ization” of persons with disabilities were found to be highly impacting factors that pervade the experience of persons with disabilities and their caregivers.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Disaster

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-8
Author(s):  
Solomon Arigwe Joseph ◽  
Abuhuraira Ado Musa ◽  
Faisal Muhammad ◽  
Tijjani Muhammad Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Hubei Province ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

People began to become ill in late December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and the illness was revealed to be a kind of pneumonia with unusual signs and symptoms. It was eventually discovered as a novel coronavirus, a virus that causes widespread sickness in animals and birds. World Health Organization (WHO) named this new viral disease coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in January 2020.

COVID 19 and its management

2021 ◽  
pp. 117-121
Author(s):  
Subhashis Debnath ◽  
Runa Chakravorty ◽  
Donita Devi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

In December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2, a novel coronavirus, initiated an outbreak of pneumonia from Wuhan in China, which rapidly spread worldwide. The outbreak was declared as “a public health emergency of international concern” by the WHO on January 30, 2020, and as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The disease is transmitted by inhalation or contact with infected droplets and the incubation period ranges from 2 to 14 d. The symptoms are usually fever, cough, sore throat, breathlessness, fatigue, malaise among others. The disease is mild in most people; in some (usually the elderly and those with comorbidities), it may progress to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi organ dysfunction. Many people are asymptomatic. The virus spreads faster than its two ancestors the SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but has lower fatality.

scholarly journals An analysis of International Health Regulations Emergency Committees and Public Health Emergency of International Concern Designations

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. e002502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Mullen ◽  
Christina Potter ◽  
Lawrence O Gostin ◽  
Anita Cicero ◽  
Jennifer B Nuzzo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
International Health ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Director General ◽  
International Health Regulations ◽  
International Response ◽  
Health Regulations

IntroductionNine events have been assessed for potential declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). A PHEIC is defined as an extraordinary event that constitutes a public health risk to other states through international spread and requires a coordinated international response. The WHO Director-General convenes Emergency Committees (ECs) to provide their advice on whether an event constitutes a PHEIC. The EC rationales have been criticised for being non-transparent and contradictory to the International Health Regulations (IHR). This first comprehensive analysis of EC rationale provides recommendations to increase clarity of EC decisions which will strengthen the IHR and WHO’s legitimacy in future outbreaks.Methods66 EC statements were reviewed from nine public health outbreaks of influenza A, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, polio, Ebola virus disease, Zika, yellow fever and coronavirus disease-2019. Statements were analysed to determine which of the three IHR criteria were noted as contributing towards the EC’s justification on whether to declare a PHEIC and what language was used to explain the decision.ResultsInterpretation of the criteria were often vague and applied inconsistently. ECs often failed to describe and justify which criteria had been satisfied.DiscussionGuidelines must be developed for the standardised interpretation of IHR core criteria. The ECs must clearly identify and justify which criteria have contributed to their rationale for or against PHEIC declaration.ConclusionStriving for more consistency and transparency in EC justifications would benefit future deliberations and provide more understanding and support for the process.

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