Preparing for future pandemics: A science-backed, human-centered framework

Researchers, teacher educators, frontline practitioners, policymakers, families, students, and community members need to understand the short-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and plan effectively for future pandemics by having a shared understanding of mental health and well-being. This chapter defines mental health, summarizes the known impacts of COVID-19 on mental health, describes lessons learned, and offers a model to guide school and community stakeholders as they prepare effectively for future pandemics. To maximize successful proactive and reactive approaches, the chapter concludes with a Call to Action for science-backed, human-centered planning, preparation, response, and recovery. Planning and preparing effectively for future pandemics and ongoing threats requires stakeholders to understand that large-scale trauma events impact not only the mental health of children and youth but also those who care for and educate them. In responding to the present public health crisis and in ameliorating further harm, not only is there an urgent need to strengthen current school-based mental health services but there is also a vital need to better prepare and plan for future pandemics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Redesigning the Post Covid-19 City: Management of Spaces and of Healthcare System, Distribution of Necessary Services and of Entertainment Spaces

During the epidemiological situation that the world is experiencing from time to time, it has become difficult for cities to adapt to the new epidemiological situation each time. The methodology used in the distribution of public facilities and services in cities has been proved insufficient to meet life needs during epidemic emergencies and changes in environmental and life conditions. This study aims to develop an improved plan in terms of sustainable urban planning applicable to all cities in the world including Jordan taking into account the current life model. The study will be able to be applied to deal with any future epidemics. This study addresses the southern Jordanian city of Aqaba, as a strategically important city, being the only port in the country, by re-planning Aqaba to adapt to any possible epidemic. This study refers to the concepts, ideas and suggestions of many urban architects and planners in the world. A suggested proposal has been concluded of a new urban model consisting of a series of design ideas that form an ideal city in the epidemic and beyond. This new urban model will ensure the well-being of the citizens and will also be able to adapt quickly to existing and pre-planned areas, to be equipped with facilities specifically designed to meet the needs of each region, ensuring a good standard of living even during emergency periods. © 2023 by authors. All rights reserved.

FUTURE PANDEMICS: AGENTS, POTENTIAL AND IMPACTS

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has changed the dimensions of human life. This new novel coronavirus has taken the world through a plethora of challenges affecting the health, economy, social and global security. As of 25 May 2021, with the death of 34, 72, 068 people and 167, 011, 807 affected, it’s high time to focus on measures to save future generations. The covid vaccination drive has started and the WHO approved vaccines are Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinopharm-BBIBP, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Dated 23 May 2021, a total of 1, 489, 727, 128 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has put forward the concept of an integrated One Health approach to public health, animal health and the environment, during the opening of the 27thTripartite Annual Executive Committee Meeting World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to prevent future pandemics (17 February 2021). Four international organizations - the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will operate under One Health approach to identify the links between the health of people, animals, and the environment. This will contribute to safeguard the human race. He also warned about the possibility of the next pandemic threat - Disease X and other zoonotic diseases which could arise anytime. According to the WHO chief, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated “intimate” linkages between the health of humans, animals and ecosystems, as zoonotic diseases spread between animals and people. For combatting the next pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) prepared a global strategy for a pandemic response, the research and development (R&D) Blueprint. This R&D Blueprint has a list of identified priority diseases and a roadmap response plan for each of them. The diseases which pose a significant public health risk because of their potential to cause pandemics, as well as the lack of sufficient countermeasures against these (diseases), includes Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), MERS, SARS, Ebola, Nipah and several other dangerous infectious diseases. In this chapter, we will discuss some priority diseases which could arise as a future pandemic. © 2022 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

COVID-19 in Africa: rethinking the tools to manage future pandemics.

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains an incurable, progressive pneumonia-like illness characterized by fever, dry cough, fatigue, and headache during its early stages. COVID-19 has ultimately resulted in mortality in at least 2 million people worldwide. Millions of people globally have already been affected by this disease, and the numbers are expected to increase, perhaps until an effective cure or vaccine is identified. Although Africa was initially purported by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be severely hit by the pandemic, Africa recorded the least number of cases during the first wave, with lowest rates of infections, compared to Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This statistic might be attributed to the low testing capacity, existing public health awareness and lessons learnt during Ebola epidemic. Nonetheless, the relatively low rate of infection should be an opportunity for Africa to be better prepared to overcome this and future epidemics. In this paper, the authors provide insights into the dynamics and transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) during the first wave of the pandemic; possible explanations into the relatively low rates of infection recorded in Africa; with recommendations for Africa to continue to fight Covid-19; and position itself to effectively manage future pandemics.

The Drug Repurposing for COVID-19 Clinical Trials Provide Very Effective Therapeutic Combinations: Lessons Learned From Major Clinical Studies.

SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the globe in no time. In the beginning, people suffered due to the absence of efficacious drugs required to treat severely ill patients. Nevertheless, still, there are no established therapeutic molecules against the SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, repurposing of the drugs started against SARS-CoV-2, due to which several drugs were approved for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. This paper reviewed the treatment regime for COVID-19 through drug repurposing from December 8, 2019 (the day when WHO recognized COVID-19 as a pandemic) until today. We have reviewed all the clinical trials from RECOVERY trials, ACTT-1 and ACTT-2 study group, and other major clinical trial platforms published in highly reputed journals such as NEJM, Lancet, etc. In addition to single-molecule therapy, several combination therapies were also evaluated to understand the treatment of COVID-19 from these significant clinical trials. To date, several lessons have been learned on the therapeutic outcomes for COVID-19. The paper also outlines the experiences gained during the repurposing of therapeutic molecules (hydroxychloroquine, ritonavir/ lopinavir, favipiravir, remdesivir, ivermectin, dexamethasone, camostatmesylate, and heparin), immunotherapeutic molecules (tocilizumab, mavrilimumab, baricitinib, and interferons), combination therapy, and convalescent plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients. We summarized that anti-viral therapeutic (remdesivir) and immunotherapeutic (tocilizumab, dexamethasone, and baricitinib) therapy showed some beneficial outcomes. Until March 2021, 4952 clinical trials have been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov toward the drug and vaccine development for COVID-19. More than 100 countries have participated in contributing to these clinical trials. Other than the registered clinical trials (medium to large-size), several small-size clinical trials have also been conducted from time to time to evaluate the treatment of COVID-19. Four molecules showed beneficial therapeutic to treat COVID-19 patients. The short-term repurposing of the existing drug may provide a successful outcome for COVID-19 patients. Therefore, more clinical trials can be initiated using potential anti-viral molecules by evaluating in different phases of clinical trials.

Spike in pollution to ignite the bursting of COVID-19 second wave is more dangerous than spike of SAR-CoV-2 under environmental ignorance in long term: a review.

Specific areas in many countries such as Italy, India, China, Brazil, Germany and the USA have witnessed that air pollution increases the risk of COVID-19 severity as particulate matters transmit the virus SARS-CoV-2 and causes high expression of ACE2, the receptor for spike protein of the virus, especially under exposure to NO2, SO2 and NOx emissions. Wastewater-based epidemiology of COVID-19 is also noticed in many countries such as the Netherlands, the USA, Paris, France, Australia, Spain, Italy, Switzerland China, India and Hungary. Soil is also found to be contaminated by the RNA of SARS-CoV-2. Activities including defecation and urination by infected people contribute to the source for soil contamination, while release of wastewater containing cough, urine and stool of infected people from hospitals and home isolation contributes to the source of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in both water and soil. Detection of the virus early before the outbreak of the disease supports this fact. Based on this information, spike in pollution is found to be more dangerous in long-term than the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. It is because the later one may be controlled in future within months or few years by vaccination and with specific drugs, but the former one provides base for many diseases including the current and any future pandemics. Although such predictions and the positive effects of SARS-CoV-2 on environment was already forecasted after the first wave of COVID-19, the learnt lesson as spotlight was not considered as one of the measures for which 2nd wave has quickly hit the world.