Traditional Chinese medicine and small molecules against COVID19

What is it about?

The novel coronavirus has affected more than 20 million people worldwide. The virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by individuals showing no symptoms. This makes it challenging to contain its spread. In this article, the authors explore whether alternative medicine works in treating COVID19. These include traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and small molecules obtained naturally. The authors point out that most studies on TCM have used poorly designed experiments. Future studies, therefore, need to use stricter protocols for a reliable evaluation of TCM. They also check whether drugs like remdesivir (RDV) and favipiravir (FPV) work against COVID19. They conclude that the effectiveness of both RDV and FPV needs to be validated with further experiments. Overall, this study provides a foundation for managing the pandemic better and developing new antiviral drugs for treatment.

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Photo by Christian Burri on Unsplash

Photo by Christian Burri on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Covid19 is a major threat to public health globally. In addition, traditional drugs against covid19 are difficult to produce. Thus, existing therapies and alternative medicine, such as TCM, in treating COVID19 could prove beneficial. KEY TAKEAWAY: Studies exploring the effectiveness of TCMs need to be better designed. They should use stringent protocols in line with those used