Current therapeutic strategies to combat coronavirus disease 2019

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by the novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The name coronavirus was derived from their crown-like spikes that exist on their exterior. Coronaviruses have been classified into four main subcategories, namely, alpha, beta, gamma, and delta coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the beta subgrouping and is one of the seventh coronaviruses to date infecting humans. At present, no vaccine or specific therapeutic agents have been approved for the treatment. Therefore, in the absence of particular vaccines or therapeutic agents for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2, “repurposed” FDA-approved drugs are in use to treat COVID-19 patients. This chapter selectively highlights the most current pharmacotherapeutic agents prescribed for the treatment of severe cases of COVID-19 patients. These agents include antiviral drugs, antibiotics, systemic corticosteroids, antiinflammatory drugs, and neuraminidase inhibitors including RNA synthesis inhibitors, convalescent plasma therapy, and traditional herbal medicines.