Potential specific therapies in COVID-19. (May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gul, Muhammad Hamdan; Htun, Zin Mar; Shaukat, Nauman; Imran, Muhammad; Khan, Ahmad
• Is Part Of: Therapeutic advances in respiratory disease. Volume 14(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-05
• Subjects: convalescent blood products -- coronavirus -- corticosteroids convalescent sera -- favipiravir -- IL-6 -- interferons -- lopinavir-ritonavir -- MERS -- novel virus -- remdesivir -- ribavirin -- SARS-COV-1 -- tocilizumab; Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiratory agents -- Periodicals; Pulmonary pharmacology -- Periodicals; Respiratory Tract Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiratory System Agents -- therapeutic use -- Periodicals; Respiratory Tract Diseases -- drug therapy -- Periodicals; Lung Diseases -- drug therapy -- Periodicals; Appareil respiratoire -- Maladies -- Traitement -- Périodiques; Agents respiratoires -- Périodiques; Pharmacologie pulmonaire -- Périodiques; 616.2005
• DOI: 10.1177/1753466620926853
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1753-4658

Abstract

COVID-19 has grown into a global pandemic that has strained healthcare throughout the world. There is a sense of urgency in finding a cure for this deadly virus. In this study, we reviewed the empiric options used in common practice for COVID-19, based on the literature available online, with an emphasis on human experiences with these treatments on severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-COV-1) and other viruses. Convalescent blood products are the most promising potential treatment for use in COVID-19. The use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), remdesivir, and tocilizumab are some of the other promising potential therapies; however, they are yet to be tested in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). The use of lopinavir-ritonavir did not prove beneficial in a large RCT. The use of corticosteroids should be avoided in COVID-19 pneumonia unless used for other indications, based on the suggestion of harm in patients with SARS-COV-1 and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) infection. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.