Host – virus – drug interactions as determinants of COVID-19’s phenotypes: A data-driven hypothesis

There is a growing body of evidence on the significance of interactions between comorbidities, their treatments and COVID-19 clinical phenotypes. The hypothesis explored herein is that pharmaceutical compounds currently in use are affecting COVID-19 susceptibility and phenotypes by overlapping transcriptional networks. Using two distinct SARS-CoV-2 – host interactomes, gene set enrichment analysis is used to discover compounds and assorted gene signatures derived from SARS-CoV-2 interactomes. Micronutrients, antiplatelets, ACE2 inhibitors, NSAIDs, corticosteroids and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are among the compounds discovered. Considering the implication of their associated comorbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease that are associated with severe COVID-19, this study outlines the need to consider specific compounds as modulators of the observed COVID-19 spectrum. Furthermore, given that micronutrient trafficking may be targeted by viral processes, and display synergism with other enriched compounds, such as statins, studies assessing their levels prior and during infection are more than warranted.