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ABSTRACT
Introduction: The world is now facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Experience with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and early reports about SARS-CoV-2 infection suggest that health-care settings and health-care workers (HCWs) are vulnerable in the context of the emergence of a new coronavirus.
Areas covered: To highlight the need for prophylactic strategies particularly for HCWs, we identified SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in health-care settings and the incidence of infections in HCWs by a search on MEDLINE and MEDxRIV (for SARS-Cov-2). To identify prophylactic strategies against, we conducted a search on MEDLINE and clinicaltrials.gov about studies involving SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2.
Expert opinion: HCWs account for a great part of SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2 infections, they may also contribute to the spread of the disease, particularly in health-care settings, and contribute to nosocomial outbreaks. Some preventive strategies were evaluated in previous emerging coronavirus epidemics, particularly in MERS-CoV. For COVID-19 prevention, different chemoprophylaxis with drug repositioning and new agents are under evaluation, and different vaccine candidates entered clinical development, with clinical trials. HCWs are a crucial target population for pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis.
Article highlights
SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 were and are responsible for nosocomial outbreaks.
HCWs accounted for a large number of infected people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Protecting HCWs also mean protecting patients.
A great number of prophylactic strategies are under evaluation: vaccines and nonvaccines
A large number of chemoprophylactic trials has been launched: most of them focus on one drug: hydroxychloroquine.
A COVID-19 vaccine will face the challenge of acceptance.
Declaration of interest
No, potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.