Case report: A fatal outcome from co-infection of COVID-19 and dengue in the western region of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Co-infection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and dengue may coexist, as both viruses share similar laboratory and clinical features, making diagnosis and treatment challenging for health care professionals to prescribe, negatively impacting patient prognosis, and outcomes. Results and discussions: Both cases were positive for PCR and X-ray laboratory investigation at clinical examination, confirming COVID-19 and dengue co-infection, admission, and better management in referral hospitals are presented and discussed. The timeline provides detailed cases of situational analysis and the medical actions taken, as well as the outcomes. Conclusion: Both co-infection cases' (patients) health conditions had a poor prognosis and diagnosis and ended with undesired outcomes. Scaling up dual mosquito-vector linked viral diseases surveillance in understanding the transmission dynamics, early diagnosis, and the timely and safe monitoring of case management in clinical and hospital settings nationwide is paramount in curbing preventable co-infections and mortality.

Assessment of Vulnerability to the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Central African Sub-region.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at examining the vulnerability of Central Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Demographic, health, and socio-economic indicators were used to describe the vulnerability. The study period was from December 31st, 2019 to May 31st, 2020 (i.e. 5 months after the start of the pandemic). RESULTS: According to demographic indicators, African populations appear younger than in Europe, Asia, and North America, where evidence showed a higher lethality of COVID-19 and a higher frequency of hospitalization among the elderly. This highlights the protective effect of the age structure of Central African populations. Their populations face significant vulnerability from high morbidity and a considerable deficit in health care facilities and services. Poverty indicators are not in their favour for a sustainable implementation of effective pandemic control measures. Very low literacy rates in some countries, misinformation, and belief in conspiracy theories could affect the community involvement in the response. Several countries are weakened by other humanitarian crises, including conflicts and other epidemics. The early easing of lockdown restrictions in certain countries could worsen the situation. CONCLUSION: In this sub-region, where the largest proportion of the population lives in poverty, poor sanitary conditions, conflicts, and humanitarian crises, the question of standards of prevention could appear to be a luxurious idea relegated to the background. Central African countries need financial and logistical support for a sustainable and effective response. These observations could be easily extrapolated to other sub-Saharan sub-regions.

Early stage risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies and measures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has proven to be tenacious and shows that the global community is still poorly prepared to handling such emerging pandemics. Enhancing global solidarity in emergency preparedness and response, and the mobilization of conscience and cooperation, can serve as an excellent source of ideas and measures in a timely manner. The article provides an overview of the key components of risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies at the early stages in vulnerable nations and populations, and highlight contextual recommendations for strengthening coordinated and sustainable RCCE preventive and emergency response strategies against COVID-19 pandemic. Global solidarity calls for firming governance, abundant community participation and enough trust to boost early pandemic preparedness and response. Promoting public RCCE response interventions needs crucially improving government health systems and security proactiveness, community to individual confinement, trust and resilience solutions. To better understand population risk and vulnerability, as well as COVID-19 transmission dynamics, it is important to build intelligent systems for monitoring isolation/quarantine and tracking by use of artificial intelligence and machine learning systems algorithms. Experiences and lessons learned from the international community is crucial for emerging pandemics prevention and control programs, especially in promoting evidence-based decision-making, integrating data and models to inform effective and sustainable RCCE strategies, such as local and global safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and mass immunization programs.

Optimizing Pandemic Preparedness and Response Through Health Information Systems: Lessons Learned From Ebola to COVID-19.

Strengthening health systems and maintaining essential service delivery during health emergencies response is critical for early detection and diagnosis, prompt treatment, and effective control of pandemics, including the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Health information systems (HIS) developed during recent Ebola outbreaks in West Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) provided opportunities to collect, analyze, and distribute data to inform both day-to-day and long-term policy decisions on outbreak preparedness. As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the globe, HIS and related technological advancements remain vital for effective and sustained data sharing, contact tracing, mapping and monitoring, community risk sensitization and engagement, preventive education, and timely preparedness and response activities. In reviewing literature of how HIS could have further supported mitigation of these Ebola outbreaks and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 3 key areas were identified: governance and coordination, health systems infrastructure and resources, and community engagement. In this concept study, we outline scalable HIS lessons from recent Ebola outbreaks and early COVID-19 responses along these 3 domains, synthesizing recommendations to offer clear, evidence-based approaches on how to leverage HIS to strengthen the current pandemic response and foster community health systems resilience moving forward.