Clinical Toxicology and Pharmacology

Toxicology in a Pandemic

Medical toxicologists, in particular, have a critical role to play in serving as a source of information for physicians and a “warning voice” for the general public. This involves counselling physicians on potential side effects from COVID-19 treatment alternatives, such as serum sickness and cardiac dysrhythmias from the controversial use of recombinant protein therapies chloroquine, as well as looking into the virus's influence on drug metabolism (which will greatly impact medication success, viral infectivity and patient outcomes). Furthermore, toxicologists may assist in the optimization of current medical and public health systems by assisting in the identification of at-risk groups (ex-substance abusers) and setting criteria for successful mask wear for community members. Medical toxicologists have a lot of expertise with observational and randomised controlled trials. They have scientific expertise, manpower, and logistics that may be deployed to perform pandemic research.