Table 2.

Current literature on different communicable diseases (including COVID-19) and healthcare expenditures

Authors	Country	Communicable diseases	Causes/symptoms	Consequences	Prevention	Medication
Fukuda et al. (2020)	Japan	Hepatitis C virus (HCV)	Liver failure	Healthcare expenditures increases in age groups.	The need for economical and effective drug therapies would be beneficial for HCV patients.	Oral and injectables are available for HCV-infected people.
Ward et al. (2020)	US	HIV management	HIV is a sexually transmitted disease, while it further spread with infected blood and breastfeeding. It damages the immune system that affects the quality of life of the patient.	The HIV patients could bear not only the cost of the therapy while it has associated with some other toxicities, including cardiovascular disease, kidney issues and osteoporosis.	The life expectancy can increase with the associated cost of the therapy.	There is no such cure rate of HIV patients while symptomatic treatment is given to the patients to increase life expectancy.
Njau et al. (2019)	Romania	Measles and rubella	Rashes, fever, lymph nodes, flu, headache, red eyes, etc.	The cost of measles and rubella outbreaks was US$9.9 million, among which measles and rubella per cost of patients were around the US$439 and US$132, respectively. Further, the result indicates that about 36% of households could not afford this high viral cost, thus have to borrow it from other sources.	Routine vaccination would be helpful to reduce the economic burden.	MMR vaccine primarily used for this viral disease.
Pedrazzoli et al. (2019)	A general survey across countries	Tuberculosis	TB is more prone due to poverty, lack of knowledge, income and financial issues.	The economic consequences are apparent, which includes reduced labour supply, low labour productivity, less income and household resilience.	TB DOTS programme, patient-centred TB services and free medicines given to the needy people would help cure this disease.	The four-drug therapy primarily used in the first phase then decrease up to three or two medicines. It is around 6 to 8 months of medication treatment that is curable.
Albuquerque et al. (2019)	Brazil	Zika virus	Children are affected mainly by the Zika virus, leading to cognitive impairment, epilepsy, visual problems and arthrogryposis.	The low priority areas, marginalized population and inability to afford healthcare prices affected mainly by the Zika virus.	Frequent healthcare visits and regular follow-up with the physicians would positively prevent the Zika virus.	There is no specific vaccine and medicine; thus, it mainly treats it through symptomatic medication.
Kum et al. (2019)	Sierra Leone	Ebola virus	Unexplained haemorrhaging is the main symptom.	The disease negatively affects the country’s budget due to the affected countries’ food and mining business disclosure.	Clinical care and the patient’s immune response would mainly prevent it from this disease.	The FDA approves the Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV.
Bai et al. (2020)	China	COVID-19	Viral pneumonia resulted in the outbreak of coronavirus.	Fever, cough, body pain and respiratory problems are common symptoms.	Social distancing suggests prevention.	There is no such vaccine or medicine for this viral infection. Self-isolation and quarantine hospitals/places recommended.
Grasselli et al. (2020)	Italy	COVID-19	The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lead to COVID-19.	Treatment that does not respond to atypical pneumonia may lead to COVID-19.	Intensive care units build up and allocated for COVID-19 patients.	Set up local procedures for the triage of patients with respiratory issues.
Adalja et al. (2020)	US	COVID-19	SARS-CoV-2 lead to COVID-19.	Healthcare workers are mainly in danger to expose directly to COVID-19 patients.	The need for a proper healthcare system is required to confront this disease.	Diagnostic testing, local hospitals and clinics need to move quickly forward to tackle the disease.
Murthy et al. (2020)	General survey	COVID-19	The SARS, the Middle East respiratory syndrome and different severe influenza, including A(H7N9) and A(H1N1), are the integral components of this infectious disease.	Older patients (median age ≈ 60 years) are affected mainly by this virus, while milder illnesses found in children.	Increase urine intensity, lung-protective ventilation and reduced lung inflation are recommended for possibly minimizing the severity of this disease.	An early antibiotic for symptomatic treatment suggested following some other healthcare guidelines to confront this virus; however, there is no such specific vaccine/medicine until yet launched to reduced mortalities. Precaution is the only medicine.