COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Saudi Arabia: prevention and therapeutic strategies

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jaffar A. Al-Tawfiq, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare; Ziad Memish, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-05-01
• Publisher: Elsevier Science Inc.
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105968
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
• Volume: 55
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 105968
• End Page: 105968
• Grant/Funding Information: None.
• Keywords: Communicable Disease Control; COVID-19; Hydroxychloroquine; SARS-CoV-2; Pneumonia, Viral; Mediterranean Region; Disease Transmission, Infectious; Ritonavir; Betacoronavirus; Pandemics; Coronavirus Infections; Lopinavir; Humans; Disease Management; Treatment Outcome; Antiviral Agents
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Rehabilitation and Therapy; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Health Care Management

Abstract

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in late 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, Central China, had caused the new century's pandemic. As of 22 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a total of 292 142 confirmed cases with 12 748 deaths [1]. The epicentre of the disease has now shifted from China, where the number of new cases has declined sharply in the last few weeks, to Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR). In the WHO EMR, 19 of the 22 countries/territories have been affected, with a total of 18 060 reported cases and 1010 deaths as of mid-March 2020, mostly in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite the many challenges faced by some countries in the EMR, including complex emergencies, compounded by fragile health systems, weak disease surveillance, poor response capacity and a suboptimal level of public health preparedness, the Ministries of Health of 16 of the 22 countries/territories have developed a national action plan against COVID-19 with the support of the WHO Regional Office for the EMR and other United Nations agencies. Further support, including financial, manpower and logistical guidance, has been provided by the WHO Regional Office to countries in need. An additional unique challenge for the EMR is the major religious mass gathering events that take place, which pose unique risks to public health. These religious gatherings take place in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). As with any infectious disease outbreak, early detection of infection is considered the highest priority in order to isolate and apply preventative measures. In the EMR, the overall capacity to rapidly detect and respond to the potential importation or local transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is inadequate. In addition, laboratory capacities are limited, with 20 of the 22 countries in the EMR having a functioning reference laboratory with the ability to detect and confirm Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and other high-threat pathogens.