COVID-19 Update

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus was linked to a deadly outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. This virus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), quickly spread around the globe. The disease it causes, COVID-19, is a spectrum of acute and long-term syndromes ranging from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A variety of coagulopathic, neurologic, and psychiatric complications may also occur. The mortality rate has been staggering, with over 1.6 million deaths worldwide and over 302,000 deaths in the US as of December 15th,2020.

The US leads the world in the number of cases and deaths. Economic changes caused by COVID-19 are many and the impact is just beginning to be understood. Over the short term, COVID-19 has resulted in an increased unemployment rate, decreased hours of work / labor force participation, and in some cases, a significant loss of wages. Lost productivity resulting from illness must be accounted for, as well as the changes in how people can or cannot safely work, given the risks of transmission. Social distancing, quarantines, and travel restrictions have reduced the work force across all economic sectors. Those whose work requires proximity to others are generally more affected, while individuals who can work remotely are less so.

Details

Publication Date: 12/23/2020
Expiration Date: 12/23/2023
CE Credit: 1.5 (0.15 CEU)
Type of Activity: Knowledge-based

This program was developed by The Rx Consultant and published by Continuing Education Network, Inc. The Rx Consultant accepts no advertising or financial support from the pharmaceutical industry and is funded solely by the purchase of programs. The Rx Consultant is dedicated to providing unbiased, balanced information to health care practitioners.

Programs developed by The Rx Consultant are written by health care providers with expertise in the topic area, peer-reviewed, extensively edited, and fact-checked. This development process was created to insure that every program presents information that is current, accurate, relevant to "real world" health care providers, and written in an easy reading, "plain English" style.

Authors

Dr. Christina G. Rivera completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy residency at the University of Toledo in Toledo, OH and PGY-2 Pharmacy residency in Infectious Diseases at Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN. She is currently a practicing clinical Infectious Diseases pharmacist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She is also an Instructor of Pharmacy for the Mayo Clinic Alix College of Medicine and adjunct faculty for Winona State University.

Disclosure Statement

Dr. Rivera reports no financial relationship with the manufacturer(s) or provider(s) of any commercial product(s) or service(s) that appear in this issue.

Target Audience

This accredited program is targeted to pharmacists .

Goals & Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

1. Identify risk factors for severe COVID-19 and recognize key differences between influenza and COVID-19 symptoms. Compare and contrast the tests used to detect COVID-19 infection.
2. Discuss the primary therapeutic agents for COVID-19; include effectiveness, side effects, and dosing.
3. Counsel patients on the use of supplements, prevention, and supportive care for mild cases of COVID-19.

Accreditation Statements

The Rx Consultant is a publication of Continuing Education Network, Inc.

Continuing Education Network, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Continuing Education Network is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 13118. Programs approved by CA BRN are accepted by most State Boards of Nursing.

ACPE Universal Activity Number: 0428-0000-20-012-H01-P

Technical Specifications

Hardware requirements

Any hardware that supports Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS, iOS, or Android, and meets the software requirements.

Software requirements

Browser that supports TLS 1.1 + and PDF files.

This includes Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, Google Chrome 38, Google Android OS 5.0 Browser, Apple Safari (version 7 for desktop, 5 for mobile), Mozilla Firefox 27, newer versions of these browsers, as well as some earlier versions that may require additional configuration.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is recommended, and is required for some browsers.

Note: TLS 1.1 and 1.2 support is required for browser security. Click here for TLS browser support details.

Internet Connectivity

Required. Broadband recommended. (T1, DSL, Cable, G4 or higher.)