Drugs For 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019nCoV)

Contributed by Ebogbambu Ikedia Sunday

Coronavirus

Coronavirus(CoVs) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (MERs CoV, SARs CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain not previously identified. Coronavirus are zoonotic in nature (transmitted between man and animal). They are large enveloped positive stranded RNA (2019 nCoV). First detected in the city of Wuhan it started as a pneumonia of an unknown causal agent at the end of December.
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Mode Of Transmission

♥ Spread from person to person of close contact (6 feet or 1.8 meter)

♥ Via Respiratory droplet produced when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. Similar to how influenza spread

♥ The droplet can land on the nose or mouth and be inhaled

Symptoms

Mostly asymptomatic at the early stage

★ Fever(> 80% of the patient)

★ Cough

★ Shortness of breath

★ Muscle pain

★ Sore throat

★ Rhinorrhoea

Drugs For Coronavirus

The need is very urgent and research is ongoing for the development of effective drugs for the treatment of the virus. Meanwhile the Chinese National Health Programme (CNHP) has recommended Kaletra to be used as a trial drug in china. It is currently used for HIV treatment. Kaletra (Aluvia) contains lopinavir and ritonavir. Lopinavir blocks enzymes that help the virus to replicate. However, lopinavir is completely metabolized by the liver enzyme CYP3A. Liver metabolism destroys the drug and prevents it from working. Ritonavir acts as a booster to inhibit the hepatic (liver) metabolism leading to higher plasma concentration of the lopinavir in the body.

Remdesivir is a new antiviral drug under trial. Investigation on how well it will work in both moderate and severely ill coronavirus patients is on going. It has shown promising results against other strains of coronavirus. Currently no drugs or vaccines have proven completely effective against coronavirus (2019 nCoV).
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Precautionary Measures

♡ Avoid close contact with infected persons

♡ Avoid direct contact with body fluids of infected persons

♡ Avoid travelling to regions of high infection

Coronavirus precaution

♡ Practice respiratory hygiene (proper nose and mouth covering with a medical mask during coughing and sneezing).

♡ Regularly and properly discard materials used for respiratory hygiene

♡ Regular cleaning and disinfection of surfaces.

♡ Movement should be restricted in regions of high infection

As the war against this virus continues, researchers, academicians and Health Authorities are fast racing into producing effective drugs and vaccines against coronavirus (2019 nCoV).

Reference

WHO 2020

Abboh lab, North Chicago IL60064.USA.2006.

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