Patterns of pharmaceuticals use during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Athens, Greece as revealed by wastewater-based epidemiology.
Sci Total Environ
; 798: 149014, 2021 Dec 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1322344
ABSTRACT
Since 2019, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), impaired public health with considerable morbidity and mortality due to the lack of vaccines and effective treatment. The severe disease mainly harmed adults with predisposing medical comorbidities (such as heart disease, hypertension, chronic lung disease), while it can occur in healthy individuals that may be asymptomatic. Wastewater-based Epidemiology (WBE), a non-invasive, objective, chemical tool was used to monitor and estimate the changes in drug's consumption and prescription patterns under normal conditions (2019) and under COVID-19 pandemic conditions (2020). NSAIDs, antihypertensives, diuretics, antiepileptics, antilipidemics, antibiotics, analgesics, antivirals, anticancer drugs, contrast iodinated drugs, antidiabetics, antiallergic drugs, antiulcers and other pharmaceuticals were studied in wastewater and revealed the application of various treatments during the first wave of the pandemic in Athens, Greece. Data were correlated with COVID-19 infection therapeutical plans. The result of the analysis revealed a remarkable increase for antiviral drugs (170%), hydroxychloroquine (387%), and antibiotics (57%), which were the most applied treatments against COVID-19 during the first wave in Greece. In agreement with related authorities urge, NSAIDs presented decrease (27%) during the first lockdown, while paracetamol demonstrated a remarkable increase (198%). The use levels for Angiotensin II receptor blockers such as valsartan, and co-administrated diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide, were reduced during 2020, by 32% and 26% respectively.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pharmaceutical Preparations
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Sci Total Environ
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.scitotenv.2021.149014
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