Antimalarial and Covid
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has sparked a global race to identify existing drugs with antiviral activities or novel molecules for the treatment of the disease. In this context, antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and its derivative hydroxychloroquine, have emerged as potential candidates for COVID-19 treatment. Antimalarial drugs were previously reported to inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the two other coronaviruses that cause severe respiratory diseases. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine exert their antimalarial activity by disrupting the acidification of lysosomes and altering the endosomal pH required for the viral entry and replication of coronaviruses. Additionally, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have exhibited anti-inflammatory effects and immunomodulatory properties, which might alleviate the severe and dysregulated immune responses in the lungs of COVID-19 patients leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment has raised important questions about the potential toxicity, optimal dosage, and duration of treatment. Several clinical trials are underway to evaluate the efficacy of these drugs alone or in combination with other antiviral agents or immune modulators. In conclusion, antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, have shown promise in the treatment of COVID-19. However, their effectiveness and safety need further evaluation and validation in randomized controlled trials before their wide-spread use for COVID-19 treatment can be recommended.
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