COVID-19 Comes 40 Years After AIDS – Any Lesson?
Vicente Soriano 1, Pablo Barreiro 2, José Manuel Ramos 3, José M. Eirós 4, 5, 6, Carmen de Mendoza 7
1 UNIR Health Sciences School and Medical Center, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Madrid, Spain; 2 Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Carlos III-La Paz University Hospital. Madrid, Spain; 3 Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Alicante. Spain; 4 National Influenza Centre, Edificio Rondilla, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain; 5 Instituto de Estudios de Ciencias de la Salud de Castilla y León, ICSCYL, Soria, Spain; 6 Hospital Universitario Río Hortega, Valladolid, Spain; 7 Puerta de Hierro University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
*Correspondence: Carmen de Mendoza, Email not available
Abstract
The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has hit health-care systems and societies in an unprecedented manner. In 1981, the first cases of AIDS were reported and wide diagnostic testing helped to characterize high-risk groups and the global burden of the epidemic. With Coronavirus Disease (COVID)-19, everything has happened too fast and both cases and fatalities are huge but still uncertain in most places. Diagnostic testing of active and past SARS-CoV-2 infections needs to expand rapidly, ideally using rapid tests. COVID-19 deaths are highly concentrated in the elderly population, with a large proportion of fatalities being “with” rather than “by” SARS-CoV-2 infection. They are often the result of inadequate health care due to overwhelming demands. To date, there is no specific therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several antivirals are being tested clinically, including remdesivir, at this time the most promising. For others such as lopinavir/ritonavir, neither significant virological nor clinical benefit has been shown. Given the characteristic pulmonary cytokine storm underlying the pathogenic mechanism of severe COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory distress, antiinflammatory agents are being investigated. The benefit of corticosteroids, hydroxychloroquine, etc., is limited. Monoclonal antibodies targeting different pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tocilizumab, an anti-interleukin 6 agent, are being tried with encouraging results. Ultimately a protective vaccine will be the best response for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
