The Rise and Fall in Therapeutic Candidates for COVID-19

摘要

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), an RNA virus from the betacoronavirus genus, has caused a serious worldwide turmoil recently. Since the first report of this virus in China in Dec. 2019, several research fields were rapidly opened globally. Virus characterization led to the identification of its similarities with two other known deadly coronaviruses, SARS-CoV (with the highest nucleotide identity of 79.7%) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Its pathogenesis is still one of the hot topics. The methods of viral transfection, epidemiology, and related subjects, have also been in focus to help in suggesting preventives strategies. The key issue of treating the infected patients is also one of the most investigated areas in parallel. Considering the urgency and importance of this subject, many drugs that were already approved or tested for other diseases were proposed to help patients at risk, some of which sooner or later were announced to be unworthy and dropped out of the list.