The Impact of the COVID-19 "Infodemic" on Drug-Utilization Behaviors: Implications for Pharmacovigilance.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that hit the world in 2020 triggered a massive dissemination of information (an "infodemic") about the disease that was channeled through the print, broadcast, web, and social media. This infodemic also included sensational and distorted information about drugs that likely first influenced opinion leaders and people particularly active on social media and then other people, thus affecting choices by individual patients everywhere. In particular, information has spread about some drugs approved for other indications (chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, favipiravir, and umifenovir) that could have led to inappropriate and therefore hazardous use. In this article, we analyze the rationale behind the claims for use of these drugs in COVID-19, the communication about their effects on the disease, the consequences of this communication on people's behavior, and the responses of some influential regulatory authorities in an attempt to minimize the actual or potential risks arising from this behavior. Finally, we discuss the role of pharmacovigilance stakeholders in emergency management and possible strategies to deal with other similar crises in the future.

Protocolo de regulação de internação e de urgência e emergência - COVID-19 / Protocol for regulation of hospitalization and urgency and emergency - COVID-19

Devido a declaração, pela OMS, da pandemia do Novo Coronavírus (COVID-19), a Superintendência do Complexo Regulador de Goiás sistematiza as ações de regulação do acesso, de modo a apoiar em caráter complementar, os demais setores de saúde pública do Estado de Goiás envolvidos na regulação do acesso aos leitos de internação e de urgência, para o enfrentamento de Emergências de Saúde Pública. A indicação de encaminhamentos varia conforme o quadro clínico do usuário, a partir da avaliação médica, sendo: • Casos leves: indicado isolamento domiciliar e tratamento sintomático (não necessita internação hospitalar). • Casos moderados: indicado internação hospitalar em leito de enfermaria em isolamento. • Casos graves: indicado internação hospitalar em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI)

Due to the declaration, by the WHO, of the pandemic of the New Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Superintendence of the Regulatory Complex of Goiás systematizes the actions of regulation of the access, in order to support, in a complementary character, the other public health sectors of the State of Goiás involved in the regulation of access to hospital and emergency beds, to face Public Health Emergencies. The indication of referrals varies according to the clinical picture of the user, based on the medical evaluation, being: • Mild cases: indicated home isolation and symptomatic treatment (does not require hospitalization). • Moderate cases: indicated hospitalization in an infirmary bed in isolation. • Severe cases: indicated hospital stay in Intensive Care Unit (ICU)