Cross-discipline approach will strengthen Covid-19 response

The rapid development of Covid-19 vaccinations has been rightly hailed as a remarkable achievement for international cooperation in the face of an existential threat to humankind.

However, as many countries struggle to contain coronavirus outbreaks caused by the highly infectious Delta variant, the current consensus among scientists and policymakers is that Covid-19 is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.

In the US alone, for example, around 100,000 new infections are still being reported each day. And, while – thanks to the success of the vaccination program – fewer people are dying or requiring hospital admissions, millions remain vulnerable. The Delta development has led to a widespread disruption of plans to expand re-opening of schools and businesses.

As Covid-19 mutates, potentially outmanoeuvring the body’s defences, it becomes even more vital that vaccine uptake is accelerated. But, although some countries are making impressive inroads into their vaccination programs, many have reached less than 20 percent of their populations. So long as significant numbers of unvaccinated people remain at large, the virus has more opportunities to transmit – and to evolve.

Many elderly and immunocompromised people are likely to be at risk for months and possibly years to come as they fail to mount a sufficient immune response following vaccination, while countless people who are unwilling or unable to receive the coronavirus jab will contract the disease. Without effective treatment, some of them will suffer severe illness and may develop so-called ‘long-Covid’ with debilitating symptoms. As a result, governments around the world need to expand their Covid strategies beyond vaccinations.

Researching therapeutic treatments

In a recent presentation for the World Bank, one analyst identified the four core pillars that are essential to support effective management of Covid over the longer-term: vaccines, treatments, non-pharmaceutical interventions and diagnosis. Vaccines remain a crucial component but can’t be seen in isolation; it’s essential that effective treatments are identified to reduce the risk of complications for those who continue to be infected by the coronavirus.

Some promising treatments have already emerged from medications approved for other illnesses. Two recent studies, for example, showed that Partner Therapeutics’ Leukine (sargramostim) – already approved by medical regulators for the treatment of another disease – can significantly improve lung function in hospitalized Covid patients. In a first study in Belgium, researchers showed that the drug could support lung repair and recovery in Covid-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen, while stimulating immune cells to fight the virus. A second study, carried out at 11 US hospitals and supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, confirmed that patients treated with inhaled Leukine showed improvement in lung function compared to those treated solely with standard of care (SOC) treatment, and that the treatment was safe and well tolerated.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that three existing drugs – artesunate, imatinib and infliximab – would be trialled as potential treatments for people with severe Covid-19. The drugs are currently used to treat other conditions, including malaria, cancer and diseases of the immune system such as Crohn’s and arthritis but it is hoped that they may also confer benefits to Covid-19 patients.

Adapting to a new normal

In tandem, authorities may want to encourage some shifts that move us towards a ‘new normal’ without unduly burdening people’s lives. Past pandemics have informed our response to new threats and evolved our understanding of how diseases spread. Clean water and hygienic practices, like regular handwashing, continue to prove useful in warding off infection. It’s likely that lessons learned from managing Covid-19 transmission could lead to the widespread adoption of similar strategies to improve long-term health.

Because Covid-19 is transmitted largely via respiratory droplets, improving indoor air quality (IAQ) is becoming a priority. The good news is that better IAQ will not only limit Covid-19 transmission but will also have a positive impact on other human health determinants like sick building syndrome.

Simple directives, such as bringing in more fresh air into buildings with heating and ventilation (HVAC) systems or opening windows in buildings that don’t, can reduce the chances of infection not only for Covid-19 but also for other illnesses such as norovirus and flu. A 2019 study found that effective air ventilation reduced influenza transmission rates by the same amount as if half the building’s occupants were vaccinated. Even in buildings where air is largely recirculated, upgrading filtration systems to capture more airborne viral particles can be transformative.

Facing the future

Limiting the impact of the current pandemic will require vision and tenacity. In the face of ongoing uncertainty, we need to use every weapon at our disposal and invest in a wide range of responses.

With complete eradication of Covid-19 unlikely, even in wealthy nations, and available vaccines highly effective but not infallible (to say nothing of the billions around the world still unable – or unwilling – to get vaccinated), policymakers and public health authorities will need to adapt to a different kind of challenge. As pandemic transitions to endemic, pivoting to a new approach will be key to planning for the best outcomes.

Although the drive to vaccinate as widely as possible must continue, non-vaccine research shouldn’t be overlooked. Indeed, as new variants emerge, the broader recovery of people across the globe will rest on the understanding that vaccination alone is unlikely to be enough in the fight against Covid.

By combining effective vaccines with therapeutic treatments and small but significant behavioural and infrastructural tweaks, we could turn Covid-19 into just another respiratory illness, rather than something capable of disrupting the whole world and causing millions of deaths.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes