ABSTRACT
On December 2019, the world faced a new pandemic caused by a novel type of coronavirus, namely severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This disease is named as "coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)." This RNA virus infected millions of people around the world causing millions of deaths. It takes approximately 8-10 years to develop a new drug and it seems hard to have a specific pharmaceutical agent against COVID-19. So far, there is only one drug that has applied for registration. The drugs used in clinics against COVID-19 were approved for malaria, human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV), influenza A and B, and other viral diseases. All these drugs for COVID-19 treatment are being applied according to "drug repurposing (drug repositioning)" strategy. However, they could cause some severe adverse effects on susceptible populations. In some cases, patients can survive after disease. However, the adverse effects of these drugs may lead to morbidity and mortality later. In this review, drugs used against COVID-19 in clinics, their mechanisms of action and possible adverse effects on susceptible populations will be discussed.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Antiviral Agents/adverse effects , Humans , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is caused by different SARS viruses. In 2020, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) led to an ongoing pandemic, known as "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)". The disease can spread among individuals through direct (via saliva, respiratory secretions, or secretion droplets) or indirect (through contaminated objects or surfaces) contact. The pandemic has spread rapidly from Asia to Europe and later to America. It continues to affect all parts of the world at an increasing rate. There have been over 92 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 by mid-January 2021. The similarity of homological sequences between SARS-CoV-2 and other SARSCoVs is high. In addition, clinical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS viruses show similarities. However, some COVID-19 cases show neurologic signs like headache, loss of smell, hiccups and encephalopathy. The drugs used in the palliative treatment of the disease also have some neurotoxic effects. Currently, there are approved vaccines for COVID-19. However, there is a need for specific therapeutics against COVID-19. This review will describe the neurological effects of SARS-CoV-2 and the neurotoxicity of COVID-19 drugs used in clinics. Drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 will be evaluated by their mechanism of action and their toxicological effects.