The emerging role of probiotics as a mitigation strategy against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Abstract

COVID-19 is an acute respiratory infection accompanied by pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has affected millions of people globally. To date, there are no highly efficient therapies for this infection. Probiotic bacteria can interact with the gut microbiome to strengthen the immune system, enhance immune responses, and induce appropriate immune signaling pathways. Several probiotics have been confirmed to reduce the duration of bacterial or viral infections. Immune fitness may be one of the approaches by which protection against viral infections can be reinforced. In general, prevention is more efficient than therapy in fighting viral infections. Thus, probiotics have emerged as suitable candidates for controlling these infections. During the COVID-19 pandemic, any approach with the capacity to induce mucosal and systemic reactions could potentially be useful. Here, we summarize findings regarding the effectiveness of various probiotics for preventing virus-induced respiratory infectious diseases, especially those that could be employed for COVID-19 patients. However, the benefits of probiotics are strain-specific, and it is necessary to identify the bacterial strains that are scientifically established to be beneficial.

Fig. 1

The antiviral effects of probiotics during respiratory viral infections. MALT, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue; NK cell, natural killer cell; CTL, cytotoxic T lymphocyte; Th1, T helper 1; Th2, T helper 2; DC, dendritic cell; M cell, microfold cell; IgM, immunoglobulin M; IgG, immunoglobulin G; IgA, immunoglobulin A; IFNs, interferons; IL-1b, interleukin 1 beta; TNF-a, tumour necrosis gactor alpha; IL-6, interleukin 6; NO, nitric oxide

Fig. 2

The antiviral effects of probiotics during SARS-CoV-2 infection