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Review
. 2020 Nov:38:100770.
doi: 10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100770. Epub 2020 Sep 30.

Diagnostic approaches and potential therapeutic options for coronavirus disease 2019

Z Khan  1   2 , D Ghafoor  2   3 , A Khan  4 , D Ualiyeva  2   5 , S A Khan  6 , H Bilal  7 , B Khan  8 , A Khan  9 , W Sajjad  10
Affiliations
Review

Diagnostic approaches and potential therapeutic options for coronavirus disease 2019

Z Khan et al. New Microbes New Infect. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan city of China in late December 2019 and identified as a novel coronavirus. Due to its contagious nature, the virus spreads rapidly and causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The global tally of COVID-19 was 28 million in early September 2020. The fears and stress associated with SARS-CoV-2 has demolished the socio-economic status worldwide. Researchers are trying to identify treatments, especially antiviral drugs and/or vaccines, that could potentially control the viral spread and manage the ongoing unprecedented global crisis. To date, more than 300 clinical trials have been conducted on various antiviral drugs, and immunomodulators are being evaluated at various stages of COVID-19. This review aims to collect and summarize a list of drugs used to treat COVID-19, including dexamethasone, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, favipiravir, remdesivir, tociluzimab, nitazoxanide and ivermectin. However, some of these drugs are not effective and their use has been suspended by WHO.

Keywords: 2019-nCoV; Coronavirus 2019; WHO; drugs; global tally; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structural composition (proteins and genetic material) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Scheme of investigated antiviral against coronavirus disease 2019, their potential targets and mechanism of action, Names of drugs are in red, steps involved from fusion to release of virion are in black. ACE2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; RTC, replication transcription complex (RTC).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Coronavirus disease 2019 continent-wise distribution.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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