ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has plagued the world for over three years since discovering the causative virus, SARS-CoV-2, in China. The rampant spread of the virus led to the loss of livelihoods of millions across the globe. This public health emergency prompted the rapid development of vaccines and treatments to fight against viral infection. Vaccines against the viral infection started rolling out in late 2020, and the distribution of the vaccines worldwide managed to reduce the symptoms of COVID-19 and prevent outbreaks in local communities. However, COVID-19 infections are still prevalent, with patients suffering from severe symptoms which require oxygen support or mechanical ventilation. Thus, therapeutic agents for COVID-19 play a significant role in reducing the risk of disease progression into severe disease and improving hospitalized patients' clinical outcomes. Existing drugs such as remdesivir, molnupiravir, baricitinib, anakinra, and tocilizumab have been repurposed to treat COVID-19 earlier during the pandemic to meet the urgent demand for treatment. There are also novel antiviral and immunomodulating treatments (nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir, ensitrelvir, regdanvimab, sotrovimab, and vilobelimab) that were developed during the pandemic to fight against COVID-19 infections. These therapeutic agents have been reported to be effective and safe for use to treat COVID-19 infections of different severity. Nevertheless, continuous surveillance is imperative in ensuring that these treatment methods maintain efficacy and safety profiles in treating COVID-19 caused by different variants of the virus. © 2023, HH Publisher. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
South Africa is one of the countries heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 9 January 2022, over 3.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported, and 93 551 deaths have been recorded in the country. The South African healthcare system faced a lack of essential resources and financial burdens by outbreaks and its new variant of concern (VOC), the Omicron. The local government has done as much as possible to control the spread of the virus in the local communities by quickly implementing lockdowns and enforcing movement restrictions. An eight-stage program to combat COVID-19 and a national vaccination strategy was also developed soon to manage the Coronavirus spread in the country better. As the country struggles to secure and administer COVID-19 vaccines to its people, the Coronavirus has been rapidly mutating and causing new waves of infections within the nation. The COVID-19 experience in South Africa demonstrates the great importance of equitable access to medicine, medical equipment, and vaccines globally. Equitable access to these essential resources is critical to prevent the virus spread across borders and reduce mortality rates worldwide. © 2022, HH Publisher. All rights reserved.