While the new 2019-nCoV coronavirus is sweeping the planet, scientists are developing an effective drug to combat the disease. However, in the best case scenario, the coronavirus vaccine will not appear earlier than a year from now, as its development and testing take a long time. The situation is aggravated by the fact that viral diseases such as ARVI and influenza cannot be cured by simply taking antiviral drugs. So, in order not to get infected with the flu, you need to undergo an annual vaccination, and ARVI treatment is aimed at the symptoms, and not the pathogen itself. For this reason, the information that Chinese researchers have found that the antimalarial drug chloroquine is effective against coronavirus looks sensational. But how is this possible?
Chinese researchers have found that the antimalarial drug chloroquine can effectively inhibit the new coronavirus infection in vitro, i.e. outside the human body. The findings were reported by researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the journal Cell Research. According to a published study, the researchers evaluated the antiviral efficacy of seven drugs in a laboratory setting.
Chloroquine, a widely used drug against malaria and autoimmune diseases, is known to block viral infections by altering the acidity inside cells and by targeting the receptors for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, which outbreak occurred in 2003. Let me remind you that the SARS genome is almost 80% similar to the 2019-nCoV genome. The study was carried out on Vero E6 cells, which are obtained from the kidneys of the African green monkey. These mammals are the most common test subjects in microbiology and molecular and cell biology research.
Disinfection is carried out at airports, railway stations and other public places.
Chloroquine also demonstrates immunomodulatory activity, which may enhance its antiviral effect in vivo. Meanwhile, the researchers note that after oral administration, chloroquine is widely distributed throughout the body, including the lungs. What's more, chloroquine is a cheap and safe drug that has been used for over 70 years. Potentially, it is clinically applicable against the new coronavirus. As the situation in China becomes more complicated day by day, chloroquine and several other antiviral drugs, as well as some traditional Chinese medicines containing active antiviral ingredients, have been selected as candidates for further research in the search for an effective drug against the new coronavirus.
What measures are the Chinese authorities taking against 2019-nCoV?
According to official data, as of February 6, 2020, the number of people infected with coronavirus in China is more than 28 thousand people, and at least 565 people have become victims of the virus. The virus broke out of the country and today official cases have been registered in more than 24 countries around the world. The first death from coronavirus outside China has been reported in the Philippines. In addition to introducing an unprecedented quarantine, the Chinese authorities are conducting large-scale disinfection throughout the country. You've probably seen footage from Shanghai and other cities, in which special vehicles and people in protective suits spray a white gaseous substance.
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However, what exactly the authorities are disinfecting the streets is unknown. It is reported that during disinfection with the help of special equipment, citizens are prohibited from going outside. One way or another, the infection has spread throughout the country, and the footage from the Middle Kingdom is more like footage from post-apocalyptic films. What do you think, what means are used during disinfection?