Current trends in diagnosis and treatment strategies of COVID-19 infection

Abstract

Coronaviruses are terrifically precise and adapted towards specialized respiratory epithelial cells, observed in organ culture and human volunteers both. This virus is found to possess an unpredictable anti-viral T-cell response which in turn results in T-cell activation and finally apoptosis, leading to cytokine storm and collapse of the whole immune system. The present review provides comprehensive information regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection, mutant strains, and the impact of SARS-COV-2 on vital organs, the pathophysiology of the disease, diagnostic tests available, and possible treatments. It also includes all the vaccines developed so far throughout the world to control this pandemic. Until now, 18 vaccines have been approved by the WHO and further 22 vaccines are in the third trial. This study also provides up-to-date information regarding the drugs repurposed in clinical trials and the recent status of allopathic drugs along with its result. Although vaccines are available, specific treatment is not available for the disease. Furthermore, the effect of vaccines on new variants is a new area of research at this time. Therefore, a preventive attitude is the best approach to fight against this virus.

Melatonin: highlighting its use as a potential treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection

“…Yet, the idea of its use has not generated any desirable interest at the governmental or pharmaceutical level. Meanwhile, numerous potentially toxic and expensive repurposed drugs have been espoused or used as clinical treatments, e.g., colchicine [19], glucocorticoids [20], remdesivir [14,21], and many others [22][23][24][25]. Although of significant value, even the currently available vaccines are not without occasional serious side effects [26][27][28].…”