Adverse Effects of COVID-19 Treatments: A Special Focus on Susceptible Populations

Abstract

On December 2019, the world faced a new pandemic caused by a novel type of coronavirus, namely severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This disease is named as “coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).” This RNA virus infected millions of people around the world causing millions of deaths. It takes approx-imately 8–10 years to develop a new drug and it seems hard to have a specific pharmaceutical agent against COVID-19. So far, there is only one drug that has applied for registration. The drugs used in clinics against COVID-19 were approved for malaria, human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV), influenza A and B, and other viral diseases. All these drugs for COVID-19 treatment are being applied according to “drug repurposing (drug repositioning)” strategy. However, they could cause some severe adverse effects on susceptible populations. In some cases, patients can survive after dis-ease. However, the adverse effects of these drugs may lead to morbidity and mortality later. In this review, drugs used against COVID-19 in clinics, their mechanisms of action and possible adverse effects on susceptible populations will be discussed. © 2022 by Begell House, Inc. www.begellhouse.com.