COV spike (S) glycoprotein and M ^pro are two key targets that have been identified for vaccines and drug development against the COVID-19 disease. Virtual screening of some compounds of plants origin that have shown antiviral activities were carried out on the two targets, 6lu7 and 6vsb by docking with the PyRx software. The binding affinities were compared with other compounds and drugs already identified as potential ligands for 6lu7 and 6vsb as well as Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. The docked compounds with best binding affinities were also filtered for drug likeness using the SwissADME and PROTOX platforms on the basis of Physicochemical properties and toxicity respectively. The docking results revealed that scopodulcic acid and dammarenolic acid had the best binding affinity on the s-glycoprotein and M ^pro protein targets respectively. Silybinin also demonstrated a good binding affinity to both protein targets making it a potential candidate for further evaluation as repurposed candidate for SARS COV2 with likelihood of having a multitarget activity.

Background: Despite close to two decades of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Nigeria, data on late on-onset ART-associated adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are sparse. Objectives: To describe early and late-onset ADRs and compare their incidence in an outpatient HIV positive Cohort on ART. Method: We described the incidence of clinical ADRs identified and documented in an outpatient clinic cohort of HIV-pos- itive patients treated between June 2004 and December 2015 at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. Incidence rates of ADRs during the first and subsequent years of ART were compared. Results: of the 13,983 patients’ data analyzed, 9317 were females (66%), and those in the age bracket of 25 to 45 years made up 78% of the studied population. During 52,411 person-years (py) of ART, 1485 incident ADRs were recorded; Incidence rate (IR) 28.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 26.9:29.8) ADRs per 1000 person-years (py) of ART. The IR of ADRs was about two times higher in the first year of ART compared to subsequent years of treatment; crude incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.77 (95% CI 1.59:1.97). Anemia, hypersensitivity reactions, and nervous system disorders had 7, 23, and 5 times higher incidence, respectively, in the first year of therapy, compared to subsequent years. Conclusion: The first year of ART is the period of highest risk of ADRs. Individual and programmatic treatment success in resource-limited settings requires strategies for early identification and management of ADR during the period of greatest risk of ADRs. Keywords: Adverse drug events; antiretroviral therapy; drug toxicity; sub- Saharan Africa.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) disease is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent globally. Medication adherence will be more valuable if it improves clinical/treatment outcomes of the patient because treatment outcomes are major indicators for evaluating TB therapy. Objective To examine a fifteen-year record of tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Jos North and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State. Methods The retrospective registry based study was done in five TB treatment centers which account for more than half of data for tuberculosis patients in Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria. Data were collected from 10,156 TB patient’s health records from 2001 to 2015. Treatment outcomes were classified as successful (cured, treatment completed) or unsuccessful (non-adherent, treatment failure or death). Analysis was done descriptively and factors associated with treatment outcomes were determined using multiple logistic regression with the aid of Stata version 11. Results Males were 58.1% of the population (10,156). Mean age ±SD was 35.5±15.5 years. The overall treatment success rate was 67.4%; non-adherence/defaulting rate was 18.5%, with majority of patients defaulting at the end of intensive phase of treatment; sputum conversion rate was 72.8% and mortality rate was 7.5%. A decrease in successful treatment outcomes from 83.8% to 64.4%, with a corresponding increase in unsuccessful treatment outcomes was observed. After adjusting for sex, and TB category, being HIV positive was 2.8 times (95% CI: 1.11-6.83, p =0.028) more likely to be associated with treatment success than having an unknown status. TALF/RAD, relapse and MDR-TB were less likely associated with treatment success than newly diagnosed TB patients Conclusion Underlying reasons for medication non-adherence and treatment failure identified should be resolved by the patient, treatment supporter and health system through adherence counseling, increased education on voluntary counseling and testing of HIV among TB patients. Keywords: Tuberculosis, Treatment Outcomes, Retrospective Study, Nigeria