The five axes of COVID-19 treatment: attacking the disease from several angles.

Abstract

The emergency situation of the COVID-19 pandemics requires immediate action. As happens with emerging pathogens, there are no specific treatments for this threat, so that the most logical answer in order to find safe and effective candidates seems to be drug repurposing. The main efforts in finding a specific treatment for this disease have been directed to finding antiviral agents, nonetheless, COVID-19 also involves lung and systemic inflammation, coupled with ineffective immunity; bacterial and fungal coinfections; respiratory dysfunction; and coagulopathy. These additional pathophysiologic axes also require a set of treatments, and in this review we will analyze such adjunctive therapies.