Subject(s)
Amantadine/therapeutic use , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
SARS-Cov-2, whose symptoms include difficulty swallowing, coughing, diarrhea, and breathing failure, has caused the loss of many lives around the world. In the absence of a vaccine or medication to help prevent or decrease the effects of the disease, we suggest that amantadine may reduce the effects of COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Amantadine/therapeutic use , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Humans , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We conducted an observational study of 15 patients from a Southeastern area of Mexico with symptoms compatible with SARS-Cov-2, which were treated with the antiviral amantadine. METHODOLOGY: In this study, data were collected from 15 individuals with clinical symptoms of COVID-19 infection, which were treated on an ambulatory basis with 100 mg of amantadine for a period of 14 days. RESULTS: This drug demonstrated its effectiveness, as patients recovered successfully with this treatment without the necessity of attending a hospital to use mechanical ventilation. All patients developed IgG antibodies to SARS-Cov-2. CONCLUSION: Amantadine can be used as a viable and cost-effective alternative for treating people with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-Cov-2) on an ambulatory basis, while the vaccine is not available.