The COVID-19 Pandemic seems to be relentless as we just recently surpassed 1 million cases worldwide. With everyday comes new loads of information about statistics, prevention, vaccine and drug development, it is hard to keep track of it all. However, currently there is no COVID-19 specific medicine or vaccine available for treatment. Rather, medicines for other infections are being used to treat severe cases. Reportedly, there are 70 different drugs being studied worldwide, likely because it is a faster strategy compared to developing an entirely new drug. There has recently been a lot of talk about the effectiveness of Chloroquine which is a drug that has been effective in treating malaria and the autoimmune disease lupus. While studies are being done on this drug it has left individuals with lupus in fear that this drug they heavily rely on may be unavailable to them if found to be effective against COVID-19. I believe this is a valid fear, specifically because they are already in a dangerous position to get COVID-19, due to them being immunocompromised.
A recent study in China reported that chloroquine, a drug that is effective against malaria and lupus was beneficial for patients with COVID-19 versus a comparison group. Hydroxychloroquine, a similar drug that is more widely available in the US has also allegedly been beneficial against COVID-19 symptoms. These drugs have in-vitro affect against several coronaviruses. These drugs are currently being recommended for hospitalized COVID patients. However, these drugs also pose threat as they both have side effects of cardiotoxicity. In a recently conducted study it was found that hydroxychloroquine reduced the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the upper respiratory tract when being compared to the control group, but there was no found clinical benefit. While this may not be the best option, I think it is somewhat positive that at least there is a drug that can somewhat lessen the effects for hospitalized patients. Another interesting headline that has been circulating in the media is the effect of taking ibuprofen on COVID-19. This is because, ibuprofen may potentially be associated with the over-expression of the enzyme ECA2 that is the gateway enzyme to COVID-19. There is no significant evidence that if an individual takes ibuprofen they are more susceptible to COIVD-19, however, it is recommended to treat symptoms like fever with other drugs like acetaminophen.
Around the world there are fears and high pressures mounting as researchers work tirelessly to try to develop an effective vaccine for COVID-19. The development of this vaccine posses many challenges, because not only does the effectiveness of the vaccine need to be tested against COVID-19, but the affect that it will have on ones body also needs to be examined. This virus contains viral spikes, which is an immunogen. This means that these spikes will trigger an immune response, however, in the development of the vaccine, designing an antigen that elicits an optimal immune response. When designing the vaccine the receptor-binding domain or the full length protein can be used. Thus, researchers must determine which will elicit the best immune response. In my opinion, one thing that is concerning about the time line for this vaccine is, with the urgency to get a vaccine to the public, I wonder about how effective the vaccine will be.
Dallis' Blog 