Clinical efficacy of antivirals against novel coronavirus (COVID-19): A review

Abstract

The unprecedented challenge faced by mankind due to emergence of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has obligated researchers across the globe to develop effective medicine for prevention and treatment of this deadly infection. The aim of this review is to compile recently published research articles on anti-COVID 19 management with their benefits and risk to facilitate decision making of the practitioners and policy makers. Unfortunately, clinical outcomes reported for antivirals are not consistent. Initial favorable reports on lopinavir/ritonavir contradicted by recent studies. Ostalmovir has conflicting reports. Short term therapy of remdesivir claimed to be beneficial. Favipiravir demonstrated good recovery in some of the cases of COVID-19. Umifenovir (Arbidol) was associated with reduction in mortality in few studies. Overall, until now, U.S. Food and Drug administration issued only emergency use authorization to remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease.

EGCG, a green tea polyphenol, inhibits human coronavirus replication in vitro

“…Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a pandemic of acute respiratory disease, COVID-19, due to high transmission rate and pathogenicity of the virus [ 1 ]. Recently, COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, however effective antiviral drugs to treat coronavirus disease are not available [ 2 ]. Efficient antiviral therapy for coronavirus diseases should be established for immediate use and future safety.…”

Can erythrocytes behavior in microcirculation help the understanding the physiopathology and improve prevention and treatment for covid-19?

“…Hypoxia and lack of nutrients in various tissues and organs can be a plausible explanation of the deleterious effect of the infection of the newel coronavirus. Some drugs can act in vitro against the new coronavirus but fail to treat the patient already infected [48]. A possible explanation can be that the drug cannot reach the place of the infection in the minimal inhibitory concentration due to microcirculatory impairment.…”

COVID‐19 pandemic: mechanism, diagnosis, and treatment

“…Vaccines for COVID‐19 are being developed all over the world to induce immunity against this disease64,65. According to the WHO draft titled ‘Landscape of COVID‐19 candidate vaccines’ that was published on 12 November 2020, 48 candidate vaccines are in the clinical evaluation stage, while 164 vaccines are in the preclinical evaluation stage 67 .…”