Tocilizumab and Systemic Corticosteroids in the Management of COVID-19 Patients:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A severe pneumonia-associated respiratory syndrome caused by a new strain coronavirus was identified in December 2019 (COVID-19) and found to be caused by a novel enveloped beta-corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) (Fu et al., 2020; Guan et al., 2020). The disease severity ranged from asymptomatic to severe (Mehta et al., 2020). Presently, there are no effective therapies for COVID-19 supported by high-level evidence (Hossen et al., 2020; Sanders et al., 2020). Current treatment options include 1) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitors (e.g., remdesivir), 2) protease inhibitors (e.g., lopinavir/ritonavir), 3) blockade of virus-cell membrane fusion with a recombinant human angiotensin-converting enzyme (e.g., ivermectin), and 4) the modulation of the human immune system (e.g., interleukin-6 blockers), 5) Janus kinase inhibitor (e.g., ruxitinib), 6) anti-tumour necrosis factor, 7) convalescent plasma, and finally 8) corticosteroids (Hossen et al., 2020; Sanders et al., 2020).
Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research