ABSTRACT
For prevention and management of viral and bacterial infections, balanced nutrition which can help in maintaining immunity is essential. An outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in December 2019 in Wuhan, China has posed significant threats to international health and the economy. In the lack of treatment for this virus, there is an immediate need to find alternative methods to control the prevalence of the disease. In the present review, by using free search engines providing biomedical and clinical literature (Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar) we have evaluated the possible benefits of some vitamins, trace elements and probiotics in viral infections. The immune response in various infections is very diverse. In conclusion, by examining the effect of micronutrients on the immune function, nutrition principles with vitamins, nutraceuticals and probiotics may be useful in possible prevention and management of viral infections and COVID-19. Copyright (C) 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared as a pandemic by the WHO on 2020 a novel disease with no confirmed and precise therapeutic agent. Lopinavir/ ritonavir has shown no benefit in 199 COVID-19 hospitalized adult patients compared with standard care alone. Remdesivir has shown promising results in the first case of COVID-19 in the USA, but recent reports were disappointing and still are under more investigation in clinical trials. The arbidol (Umifenovir) and Favipiravir act well in postexposure prophylaxis and viral clearance. Interferons in combination with other antiviral agents, if administered in the early stages of the disease, can cause advantageous effects. Ribavirin is no more recommended in new guidelines. Tocilizumab (Actemra) is an effective treatment in severe patients of COVID-19 and a new therapeutic strategy. Systemic corticosteroids seem to have a great impact in reducing mortality rate in mechanically ventilated patients. There are also some supplementary agents such as vitamin C, A, D, selenium, and zinc that have been reported to be effective in the prevention and treatment of viral infections. Recent findings indicate human recombinant soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, niclosamide, and ivermectin had strong in-vitro results which can lead to fast in-vivo trials and help us to control infection. Copyright (C) 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Viral respiratory infections are a leading cause of illness and mortality in all age groups worldwide. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world, igniting the twenty-first century's deadliest pandemic. Research has shown that phages, which are bacterial viruses, can help treat viral infections with the effect on the immune system and their antiviral activity. Phages have specific activity and affect only the target without any side effects on other parts of the human body. Human phage-related diseases have not been reported yet;therefore, phages can be a very safe treatment, especially in many viral infections. The results of clinical studies have a promising future regarding the use of phages. It is possible that the phages display technique aided in the production of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies against its viral protein, which prevented the virus from binding or replicating and preventing secondary microbial infections, which have been linked to many patient deaths. Furthermore, an effective antiviral vaccine can be produced by using the same technique. Given the growing number of coronaviruses cases around the world, in the present paper, we review the possible mechanisms of phages against the COVID-19 disease and the method that may be a solution to eliminate the virus.