Contemporary treatment modalities for the management of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients: An overview

Abstract

The outbreak of a pandemic, occurring after a hundred years, has taken the world by storm. The knowledge attained from the past epidemics has helped establish various supportive, symptomatic and preventive measures. Some possible therapeutic actions of substances against the concomitant SARS 2 COVID have been tested. However, evidence from randomised controlled trials in humans is not available to support the recommendation of any of the investigational therapies, including vaccines for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 at this time. With the rapid structural changes and the constantly mutating and unpredictable nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the development of a definitive treatment regimen is even more challenging. Hence, management is only aimed at supportive therapy/ symptomatic treatment. In the meantime, community mitigating procedures to keep the sudden surge of cases at bay are in place, and the best healthcare workers are working tirelessly in finding a cure. A significant hurdle faced is the foreboding uncertainty about the virus-host relationship as well as the development and progression of the epidemic even today. The numerous modalities have been discussed to give an overview of the best approach for the treatment of the SARS-CoV-2 positive patients which include the contemporary antiviral drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, immunoglobulin therapies, vaccines and homoeopathic remedies.