A Review of Pharmacotherapy for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The epidemic of COVID-19 and its associated acute respiratory syndrome has posed an unprecedented challenge in identifying effective drugs to prevent and treat it. Due to the high prevalence of this disease and the high number of people at risk, medical staff needs accurate evidence regarding effective drug treatments for this infection. There is currently no effective treatment for COVID-19. But the rapid development of knowledge about the virology of SARS-CoV-2 provides a significant number of potential pharmacological targets. Evidence suggests that the data provided on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine is contradictory, but it seems that Remdesivir, although not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, has strong laboratory activity against the virus is the most promising drug treatment. In addition to these results, some clinical trials have ruled out the effectiveness of Oseltamivir and limit the use of corticosteroids. Also, current clinical evidence does not support the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers in patients with COVID-19. The COVID-19 epidemic is the largest global public health crisis of the present era since the outbreak of the flu pandemic in 1918. The speed and volume of clinical trials that have begun to examine potential treatments for COVID-19 indicate the urgent need to find the optimal treatment for this problem as soon as possible, which has not yet been conclusively effective.