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A Comprehensive Summary of the Knowledge on COVID-19 Treatment
Yu Peng1, Hongxun Tao1, Senthil Kumaran Satyanarayanan1
11State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
Abstract:
Currently, the world is challenged by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Epidemiologists and researchers worldwide are invariably trying to understand and combat this precarious new disease. Scrutinizing available drug options and developing potential new drugs are urgent needs to subdue this pandemic. Several intervention strategies are being considered and handled worldwide with limited success, and many drug candidates are yet in the trial phase. Despite these limitations, the development of COVID-19 treatment strategies has been accelerated to improve the clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19, and some countries have efficiently kept it under control. Recently, the use of natural and traditional medicine has also set the trend in coronavirus treatment. This review aimed to discuss the prevailing COVID-19 treatment strategies available globally by examining their efficacy, potential mechanisms, limitations, and challenges in predicting a future potential treatment candidate and bridging them with the effective traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The findings might enrich the knowledge on traditional alternative medication and its complementary role with Western medicine in managing the COVID-19 epidemic.
Insights
This review examines current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatments, including Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It assesses their effectiveness and potential to manage the pandemic, offering insights into complementary therapeutic strategies.
Area of Science:
- * Global Health
- * Infectious Diseases
- * Pharmacology
Background:
- * The COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant global health challenge, necessitating urgent development of effective treatments.
- * Current therapeutic strategies, including drug candidates in trials, show limited success, highlighting the need for diverse approaches.
- * Natural and traditional medicine, particularly traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has emerged as a relevant area of investigation for COVID-19 management.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To review and analyze existing global COVID-19 treatment strategies.
- * To evaluate the efficacy, mechanisms, limitations, and challenges of various interventions.
- * To explore the potential of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a complementary therapy alongside Western medicine.
Main Methods:
- * Comprehensive literature review of published studies on COVID-19 treatments.
- * Analysis of clinical trial data and epidemiological reports.
- * Examination of research on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its application in viral infections.
Main Results:
- * A range of Western medical interventions are under investigation, with varying degrees of success and significant limitations.
- * Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) presents potential therapeutic benefits, with ongoing research into its efficacy and mechanisms against COVID-19.
- * The integration of TCM with conventional treatments may offer a synergistic approach to improving patient outcomes.
Conclusions:
- * Accelerated development of COVID-19 treatments is crucial for managing the pandemic.
- * Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) holds promise as an alternative and complementary therapy for COVID-19.
- * Further research is needed to validate the efficacy and mechanisms of TCM in managing COVID-19 and to integrate it effectively with Western medicine.
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