ABSTRACT
The race for a search for therapeutics and vaccines began before the COVID-19 outbreak even became a pandemic. Existing medications used in other conditions have been repurposed and tried in patients with varying degrees of disease severity. This is the case, for instance, for the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine, the antiviral remdesivir, the anthelmintic ivermectin, or the interleukin-6 inhibitor tocilizumab. Dexamethasone rose as an essential cornerstone of therapy for the patient with COVID-19 on oxygen supplementation or mechanical ventilation, while remdesivir became the first (and only thus far) FDA-approved medication for patients with severe COVID-19 disease not requiring mechanical ventilation. The first part of this chapter gives an overview of the medical treatment approach for the hospitalized patient and the various neurological complications associated with each of the treatments in use in the United States. The second section of the chapter discusses vaccine development and types. It also goes over vaccines’ neurological side effects and special considerations for patients with different neurological conditions. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.