It has been quite a long since the COVID19 pandemic has hit the world. Scientists around the globe are putting their best foot forward to find a cure for the COVID19 infection, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A team of experts in Hong Kong has come up with a new study and has said that an antimicrobial drug, which is used to treat stomach ulcers, might help combat the COVID19 disease. Researchers have been observing metallodrugs to determine their anti-viral properties, which might be able to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Metallodrugs are such compounds, which contain metal, and these are used to fight against bacterial ailments.
Scientists have used Syrian hamsters as test objects in the study. Interestingly, they have found that one of the drugs named ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC) has been effective in fighting off the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Experts have said that RBC has been able to reduce the load of the viral infection in the lungs of the hamsters by tenfold. The author of the study Dr. Runming Wang has said that RBC has proven to be a potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus drug. More than a million people have lost their lives due to the COVID19 pandemic around the world since the disease has emerged in China’s Wuhan city in the last quarter of 2019. The team of scientists has said that RBC is a widely available drug, which has a safe and comprehensive pharmacological profile as well.
As many experts around the world have been trying to develop an effective vaccine for coronavirus, they have been looking for readily available medicines as well, which might be able to reduce the severe symptoms caused by the virus. Earlier drugs like Remdesivir and dexamethasone have been proved effective in providing some sort of protection against the COVID19 disease. Remdesivir is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, and dexamethasone is a kind of corticosteroid. As per the reports, both medicines are being used to treat US President Donald Trump, who has recently tested positive for COVID19. However, both drugs have certain limitations as well. Remdesivir is an expensive medicine and it is not widely available around the world. At the same time, dexamethasone can cause some immunosuppression effects, which might be dangerous for severely ill patients. This study has been published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
