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Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Control between Drug Repurposing and Vaccination: A Comprehensive Overview
Ahmed A Al-Karmalawy1, Raya Soltane2,3, Ayman Abo Elmaaty4
1Department of Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University-Egypt, New Damietta 34518, Egypt.
Abstract:
Respiratory viruses represent a major public health concern, as they are highly mutated, resulting in new strains emerging with high pathogenicity. Currently, the world is suffering from the newly evolving severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a mild-to-severe respiratory tract infection with frequent ability to give rise to fatal pneumonia in humans. The overwhelming outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 continues to unfold all over the world, urging scientists to put an end to this global pandemic through biological and pharmaceutical interventions. Currently, there is no specific treatment option that is capable of COVID-19 pandemic eradication, so several repurposed drugs and newly conditionally approved vaccines are in use and heavily applied to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of new variants of the virus that partially or totally escape from the immune response elicited by the approved vaccines requires continuous monitoring of the emerging variants to update the content of the developed vaccines or modify them totally to match the new variants. Herein, we discuss the potential therapeutic and prophylactic interventions including repurposed drugs and the newly developed/approved vaccines, highlighting the impact of virus evolution on the immune evasion of the virus from currently licensed vaccines for COVID-19.
Insights
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19. Virus evolution necessitates continuous monitoring for vaccine updates to combat immune escape and ensure pandemic control.
Area of Science:
- Virology and Immunology
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, pose significant public health risks due to high mutation rates and pathogenicity.
- The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, presents challenges with no specific eradication treatment, leading to the use of repurposed drugs and vaccines.
- Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants can evade vaccine-induced immune responses, requiring constant surveillance and vaccine adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current therapeutic and prophylactic interventions for COVID-19.
- To discuss the impact of viral evolution on vaccine effectiveness.
- To highlight the need for updated vaccines to address immune escape.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing therapeutic and prophylactic strategies for COVID-19.
- Analysis of scientific data on SARS-CoV-2 evolution and variant emergence.
- Examination of vaccine efficacy against evolving viral strains.
Main Results:
- Repurposed drugs and approved vaccines are currently employed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Viral evolution leads to variants that can partially or completely escape immune responses generated by current vaccines.
- Continuous monitoring of emerging variants is crucial for vaccine development and modification.
Conclusions:
- There is no single treatment to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Adapting vaccines to match new SARS-CoV-2 variants is essential to overcome immune evasion.
- Ongoing research and surveillance are vital for effective pandemic control.
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