Combination therapy with lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin and interferon-a for Middle East respiratory syndrome

Abstract

Since the irst report of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, no standard treatment guideline has been set despite the virulence of MERScoronavirus (CoV) and the high case-fatality rate. The outbreak in South Korea in 2015 demonstrates that MERS outbreaks can occur outside of the Middle East. The combination of ribavirin and interferon-α has been the most widely used therapy for this infection. However, due to the varying results of treatment with these drugs, a new antiviral combination regimen is urgently needed. This is a case report of use of lopinavir/ritonavir-based combination antiviral therapy for a patient with MERSCoV infection.