COVID-19 and toxicity from potential treatments: Panacea or poison

Abstract

Since December 2019, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been increasingly spreading from its origin in Wuhan, China to many countries around the world eventuating in morbidity and mortality affecting millions of people. This pandemic has proven to be a challenge given that there is no immediate cure, no vaccine is currently available and medications or treatments being used are still undergoing clinical trials. There have already been examples of self-medication and overdose. Clearly, there is a need to further define the efficacy of treatments used in the management of COVID-19. This evidence needs to be backed by large randomised-controlled clinical trials. In the meantime, there will no doubt be further off-label use of these medications by patients and practitioners and possibly related toxicity.