Tetracycline treatment for COVID-19

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak that originated in late 2019 has become a serious global threat to human health. Presently, there are no drugs approved to combat the disease (COVID-19). Therefore, it is important to find effective drugs against COVID-19 and to conduct clinical trials of these drugs. Drug repurposing is a well-known strategy used to redeploy licensed drugs for newer indications, thereby providing the fastest possible transition from bench to bedside for meeting therapeutic needs. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects of tetracyclines (TCs), (e.g., doxycycline and minocycline), have recently attracted considerable attention. We believe that treatment with TC alone or in combination with other drugs is promising and may open the door for an international strategy to fight this emerging viral infection.