Water Wheel May/June 2021: Covid And Environment

Abstract

COVID-19 and unquantified ecological health risks from sanitisers and disinfectants March 2021 marked one year since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO). By the beginning of May, the number of global infections stood at 155 million, with over 3.2 million fatalities since the declaration of the pandemic. Sadly, these grim statistics are firmly on an upward trend. In a race to fight the pandemic, a two-pronged approach has been adopted worldwide: non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and pharmaceutical interventions (PIs). The NPIs include wearing masks, regularly sanitising hands, disinfecting surfaces to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and social distancing. Conversely, PIs entail the use of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to treat hospitalised patients. Both approaches have contributed positively to the effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Categories