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: Antibiotics; Antiviral drugs; COVID-19; Drug consumption changes; Wastewater-based epidemiology; Wide-scope screening methods.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, antiviral drugs, Antibiotics, Drug consumption changes, Wastewater-based epidemiology, Wide-scope screening methods., 【초록키워드】 Treatment, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, public health, SARS-CoV-2, Vaccine, coronavirus, pandemic, Hydroxychloroquine, antivirals, lockdown, COVID-19 pandemic, antiviral drugs, Infection, drugs, Lung disease, Comorbidity, Antibiotics, drug, valsartan, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, hypertension, coronavirus 2, anticancer drugs, antiviral drug, NSAIDS, wastewater, Asymptomatic, COVID-19 infection, Greece, morbidity and mortality, receptor, respiratory, disease, First wave, Angiotensin II, NSAID, Analysis, chronic lung disease, severe disease, heart disease, Receptor Blockers, Paracetamol, Non-invasive, hydrochlorothiazide, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, healthy individuals, various treatments, blocker, analgesics, diuretics, MONITOR, screening methods, effective, decrease, was used, lack, applied, reduced, condition, changes in, occur, demonstrated, correlated, in healthy individual, various treatment, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 Epidemiology, COVID-19 pandemic, pattern,