Therapeutic Perspectives of COVID-19 Patients si vis pacem para bellum

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that we are all part of a small world where the spread of contagious diseases is unavoidable. SARS-CoV-2 infection mostly results in a severe respiratory disease caused by a cytokine storm which can lead to death. Although, SARS-CoV-2 seemed to be less lethal when compared to SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV, its capacity of diffusion is outstanding. Hence, COVID-19 has become an emergency of major international concern, a lot of effort is made to find effective treatments and vaccines. This article provides a brief introduction of COVID-19 general features, reviews the literature on available information about the virology of SARS-CoV-2 and the structure and function of its receptor, the ACE2, and debates on the pattern of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2. In addition, this review discusses COVID-19 treatments including antiviral agents, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, anti-Spike-protein antibodies, convalescent plasma therapy, and the potential strategies to fight and overcome the cytokine storm.