Search anything related to possible treatment or cure for COVID-19 online. You will get a bold declaration from the World Health Organization that there are no treatments or vaccines and that treatments are in trial.
Well, that is sure to put a downer on anyone that is looking for any gleam of hope in these dark times. But then there has been some excitement about a few drugs that have shown some promise against the virus.
This piece will be touching on each of these drugs and what has been discovered about them so far. So, let’s get into it, shall we?
Hydroxychloroquine, Chloroquine, and Azithromycin
A few months into the pandemic, the medical community was thrown into an uproar. Preliminary tests pointed to a reduction in the COVID-19 viral load of patients treated with doses of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin.
This gave people around the world and Nigeria some measure of hope, maybe the end is near. The two drugs flew off the shelves in packets, there were even cases of some people overdosing. What is the situation of these drugs viz a viz COVID-19 treatment then?
Well, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the drugs in March. It revoked it though after further studies showed they might have jumped the gun there.
The WHO also stopped its clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine in May because of safety concerns.
The general consensus from world health bodies is that neither Chloroquine nor Hydroxychloroquine in combination with azithromycin, or not, should be used as a treatment for COVID-19.
Vitamin D and Vitamin C
The use of Vitamin D may have some effect in preventing COVID-19 infection and protect from developing serious symptoms. It is already established that if you have low Vitamin D levels, you may be more susceptible to infections of the upper respiratory tract.
Vitamin D might have a two-fold action on COVID-19. It may boost the body’s natural defenses, the immune system, against bacteria and viruses. Secondly, it may stop the body from developing an exaggerated inflammatory response. this has been shown to make COVID-19 patients worse off.
Vitamin D is created by our bodies when it is exposed to sunlight. Dietary sources of the vitamin include fatty fish (mackerel, salmon), cheese, and egg yolk.
As for Vitamin C, there is no real evidence that it can be useful in treating COVID-19. Although Vitamin C treatment has proven effective in treating other symptoms similar to those in severe COVID-19 cases. These include sepsis and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Zinc
The benefits of zinc in the body are myriad as can be readily seen in this article. In another study published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine, it was shown that zinc may protect people from COVID-19. This is because it supports anti-viral immunity and reduces inflammation.
You can get zinc from beans, fish and other seafood, nuts, and animal meats. Zinc is also a component of some fortified foods and breakfast cereals.
So which treatment works?
There is no treatment for COVID-19 that has been irrefutably linked to curing or treating the virus. The ones mentioned here still need more research and clinical trials for us to be sure about their efficacy or lack of it.
Stay safe, wear your masks and practice social distancing. Stay safe until a proper solution to this pandemic is found. You owe that to yourself and your family.
