Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 causes coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) that spreads quickly in the world. Considering the impact of this pandemic, researchers have been racing to understand the peculiar nature of the virus and the pathogenesis of the disease to uncover possible drug targets, effective therapeutic agents, and vaccines. Accordingly, numerous drug targets are identified by scientists. Among them, structural glycoproteins, virulence factors, host-specific receptors and enzymes, nonstructure proteins, the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/ STAT) signaling pathway, and pro-inflammatory cytokines are discussed herein. This review summarizes the promising drug targets for COVID-19, and highlights antiviral strategies which depend on molecular interactions between viral small molecules and host biologic machinery for repurposing the available clinical drugs. In addition, it gives a strong rational basis for the ongoing discovery of new drugs and vaccines.
Background: The 2019 novel Corona virus had received remarkable devotion for its increasing incidence and widespread prevalence. On January 31, 2020, the World Health Organization declared that the COVID-19-19 outbreak had become public health emergency of the globe in 21th century. The nationwide infection and death from the outbreak in Ethiopia had risen significantly. On the other hand, Ethiopia and the world got a lesson from many countries like America, Spain, and China that the disease was deadly in its nature. The China’s health organization advised various treatments including traditional Chinese medicine. The aim of this study was to assess the attitude of health care professionals’ to integrate traditional medicine and modern medicine on controlling the COVID-19-19 epidemics in Northeast Ethiopia if traditional herbalists had remedy and the government (Ethiopian nutrition and drug approval agency) approved it after exhaustive investigation on the remedy. Methodology: An institution based cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from health facilities in Northeast Ethiopia. The attitude questions were prepared in Likert scale format and the health professionals were asked about the integration of traditional medicine and modern medicine, and adjunct effect of traditional medicine to control COVID-19-19 outbreak. The 11attitude scale questions were developed through literature review, expert comments, interview and focus group discussion. The internal consistency of the scale was also assessed using Cronbach's Alpha test. All health care professionals (737), who were working in the two towns (Woldia and Mersa) received the self-administered questionnaire and involved in this study. Results: Of the total 750health professionals (sampling frame) as per the zonal health department database, only 737health professionals involved in the study, and that gave a 98.3% response rate. Eight one (11%) health professionals strongly disagree on accepting traditional medicine to treat COVID-19-19, and 163(22.1%) professionals disagree to use traditional medicine on treating COVID-19-19. But 92(12.5%) professionals were neutral on accepting traditional medicine to treat COVID-19-19. On the other side 300(40.7%), and 101(13.7%) professionals selected agree and strongly agree options on accepting traditional medicine to treat COVID-19-19 item, respectively. One hundred thirteen (15.3%) health professionals strongly disagree regarding traditional medicine utilization to treat COVID-19, and 163(22.1%) health professionals disagree on recommending traditional medicine utilization to others. But 92(12.5%) health professionals were neutral regarding recommendation to treat COVID-19 using traditional medicine. On the other side, 300(40.7%) and 101(13.7%) health professionals agree and strongly agree to recommend traditional medicine utilization to control COVID-19 respectively. The mean value of attitude was calculated by considering all the 11attitude scale questions. The mean attitude score of health professionals in integrating traditional and modern medicine increases, when the health professionals profession is medical laboratory (B=0.23, p-value <0.005), or when the professionals employed in health center (B=0.46, p-value <0.001). However, the mean attitude score of health professionals on integrating traditional and modern medicine decreases, when the health professionals profession is pharmacy (B= -0.23, p-value <0.005), or when the health professionals profession is medical doctor (B= -0.83, p-value <0.001). Conclusion: The attitude of health care professionals in integrating traditional and modern medicine to control COVID-19 outbreak was neither good nor bad. More than 50% of health professionals held a neutral and above positive attitude towards agree or extremely agree in majority of the attitude questions. If the government develops a system to integrate modern medicine and traditional medicine to control the COVID-19-19 outbreak, health professionals will not pose significant challenge.
Background Traditional medicine is an approach that has unique knowledge and beliefs which incorporates plant, animal or mineral based medicines that applied alone or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses and maintain well-being. Suggestions from clinical practices and researches shown that integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine played an important role in China’s successful control of COVID-19. Despite such evidence, the Ethiopian minister of health prohibited traditional herbalists from using traditional remedies for COVID-19. However many of the traditional herbalists and the community requested the government frequently to try traditional medicine for COVID-19. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions, readiness, and recommendations of traditional herbalists on the effect of traditional medicine on COVID-19 and to select the promising remedies for pre-clinical study. Methods The study design used was an interpretive qualitative study. An in-depth interview was employed to gain access to the traditional herbalists’ experiences, perceptions, readiness and their recommendations. Traditional herbalists who lived in the North Wollo Zone were interviewed about the probable medicinal plants that can treat COVID-19. An inductive qualitative content analysis was conducted. Results From the in-depth interview with traditional herbalists, 4thematic frameworks were developed. Those major themes are;(1)perception of traditional medicine practitioners about COVID-19;(2) hypothesizing potential traditional remedies to treat COVID-19;(3)traditional practitioners recommendations for the community, and (4) integration of traditional and modern medicine. There was no pronounced difference in opinion among traditional herbalists about COVID-19 signs and symptoms, mode of transmission, and source of information about the epidemics.
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