Role of Tocilizumab in Fighting COVID-19

Background: Tocilizumab is the repurposed drug used in the severely ill COVID-19 patients. A lot of traction has gain over the drug but more studies are awaited to ensure the efficacy of the drug with proper backing from empirical data. Tocilizumab, a drug which is used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis suddenly came into limelight when it got listed as drugs used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. As earlier discussed, many existing drugs which were already in use for treating other ailments were being tested if they are suitable to treat COVID-19 disease. Tocilizumab have the anti-inflammatory properties which were in particular were useful in COVID-19 which creates an inflammation all across the organs. Summary: COVID-19 is the novel disease outbreak later progressed into deadly pandemic has presented the huge challenge to contain it clinically as no drug was available prior the outbreak of the disease. Vast amount of drugs can be used to at least suppress the viral spread which was found to be true. Although it was not hundred percent foolproof but it was an emergency situation and various drugs were used according to local ground conditions and patients response to the drug along with age and severity of the illness. Tocilizumab was one such drug which was repurposed for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Many drugs such as Hydroxycholoroquine (HCQ), Tocilizumab were repurposed from their existing use. Tocilizumab is currently used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Various studies have shown the efficacy of the drug among the severely ill COVID-19 patients which ranges up to 66 percent. In certain cases worsening of the existing medical condition has been observed. Conclusion: Vaccine nationalism must be set aside and low and middle income countries where most of the population of the world resides, should be vaccinated as even one case can culminate into another disaster as was seen during highly contagious COVID-19. More empirical data is needed from across the globe to ensure the assessment of the efficacy of the drug. Also certain cases of shortage of the said drug for non-COVID-19 purpose also looked into seriously has it can create a parallel disaster.

Health literacy as a social vaccine in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel virus in the coronavirus family, causing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Biomedical vaccines are key but alongside biomedical vaccines, a social vaccine can be similarly useful to prevent infection from SARS-CoV-2, if applied as a health promotion strategy. In order to slow down and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, applying the social vaccine concept should be considered in parallel. From a health promotion perspective, a social vaccine is a process of social and political mobilization driven by governmental and non-governmental organizations aiming at populations by applying interventions such as health communication, education and mass media campaigns as well as determinant-based programs to address environmental factors influencing personal behavior and community capacities to cope with and overcome the societal burdens of COVID-19. In this context, health literacy is significant, as seen in the role it plays in empowering citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic and enabling them to deal with health information considering COVID-19. As a public health strategy, health literacy as a social vaccine will enable individuals and communities to mitigate the spread of the virus by understanding and applying information as provided through governments and health authorities. The aim of this article is to explore health literacy as a promising social vaccine and opportunity to utilize social vaccination and thus be considered as a key public health approach-both bottom-up and top-down-to support the combat of COVID-19 and future states of emergency.

Community responses to COVID-19 pandemic first wave containment measures: a multinational study.

INTRODUCTION: National strategies to control COVID-19 pandemic consisted mostly of social distancing measures such as lockdowns, curfews, and stay-home guidelines, personal protection such as hand hygiene and mask wearing, as well as contact tracing, isolation and quarantine. Whilst policy interventions were broadly similar across the globe, there were some differences in individual and community responses. This study explored community responses to COVID-19 containment measures in different countries and synthesized a model. This exaplains the community response to pandemic containment measures in the local context, so as to be suitably prepared for future interventions and research. METHODOLOGY: A mutlinational study was conducted from April-June 2020 involving researchers from 12 countries (Japan, Austria, U.S., Taiwan, India, Sudan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand). Steps in this research consisted of carrying out open-ended questionnaires, qualitative analyses in NVivo, and a multinational meeting to reflect, exchange, and validate results. Lastly, a commuinty response model was synthesized from multinational experiences. RESULTS: Effective communication is key in promoting collective action for preventing virus transmission. Health literacy, habits and social norms in different populations are core components of public health interventions. To enable people to stay home while sustaining livelihoods, economic and social support are essential. Countries could benefit from previous pandemic experience in their community response. Whilst contact tracing and isolation are crucial intervention components, issues of privacy and human rights need to be considered. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding community responses to containment policies will help in ending current and future pandemics in the world.

The measles outbreak in Israel in 2018-19: lessons for COVID-19 pandemic.

During 2018-2019 Israel saw some 4300 measles cases in a country-wide epidemic. Increased measles incidence rates and considerable disease burden have been observed in under-vaccinated communities, predominantly Jewish ultraorthodox. The measles epidemic, despite proper public health handling, revealed susceptible population subgroups as well as gaps and lacking resources in the Israeli public health systems. In the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, as of December 2020, the number of COVID-19 cases reported nationally was over 300,000 with approximately 3000 fatalities. Notably, minority groups such as the ultraorthodox Jewish community and the Arab community in Israel has been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe it is still possible to implement the key lessons from the measles outbreak in Israel that could aid in the COVID-19 response in Israel and elsewhere. These conceptions should include a social-based approach, investment in public health human resources and infrastructure, tackling root causes of inequalities, emphasis on trust and solidarity, proactive communication, need for political will, and proper use of epidemiological data as a basis for decision-making. In parallel to proper use of COVID-19 vaccines, when available, a 'social vaccine' is crucial as well as preparedness and response according to public health principles.