A review of potential treatments to date in COVID-19 patients according to the stage of the disease

INTRODUCTION AND MOTIVATION: Since the end of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide. With the rapid spread of this virus, an immense burden has fallen upon both healthcare and economic systems. As a consequence, there is an unprecedented urgency for researchers and scientific committees from all over the world to find an effective treatment and vaccine. REVIEW STRUCTURE: Many potential therapies are currently under investigation, with some, like Hydroxychloroquine, being authorized for emergency use in some countries. The crucial issue is now clearly to find the suitable treatment strategy for patients given comorbidities and the timeline of the illness. Vaccines are also under development and phase 1 clinical trials are rolling. Despite all efforts, no single drug or vaccine has yet been approved. In this review, we aim at presenting the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 and to provide clinicians with a brief and solid overview of the current potential treatments classified according to their use at the three different currently proposed disease stages. In light of pathogenesis and proposed clinical classification, this review’s purpose is to summarize and simplify the most important updates on the management and the potential treatment of this emergent disease.