Developments in treatment for middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

Abstract

Introduction: An important respiratory pathogen that has led to multiple hospital outbreaks both inside and outside of the Arabian Peninsula is the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Given the elevated case fatality rate, there exists a pressing requirement for efficacious therapeutic agents.

Areas covered: This is an updated review of the developments in MERS treatment approaches. Using databases like PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Google Scholar, a thorough search was carried out utilizing keywords like 'MERS,' 'MERS-CoV,' and 'Middle East respiratory syndrome' in conjunction with 'treatment' or 'therapy' from Jan 2012 to Feb 2024.

Expert opinion: MERS-CoV is a highly pathogenic respiratory infection that emerged in 2012 and continues to pose a significant public health threat. Despite ongoing efforts to control the spread of MERS-CoV, there is currently no specific antiviral treatment available. While many agents have been tested both in vivo and in vitro, none of them have been thoroughly examined in extensive clinical trials. Only case reports, case series, or cohort studies have been made available as clinical studies. However, there is a limited number of randomized-controlled trials. Because cases are irregular and sporadic, conducting a large prospective randomized trials for establishing an efficacious treatment might be difficult.

Keywords: MERS-CoV; interferon; pegylated interferon; ribavirin; steroid; therapy; ventilation.