Zinc therapy: An emerging hope in the management of COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 global pandemic creates a great threat to entire healthcare system & disrupts the whole economy worldwide. There is no specific antiviral therapeutic option available for COVID-19 management still now. So, there is an urgent need to discover effective medicines, prevention and control measures to combat this novel corona virus infection. The preventive measure has been the mainstay to fight back the current COVID-19 infection. The host immune system plays pivotal roles against COVID-19 disease progression, similar to many other viral infections. The role of trace elements in boosting the human immune system are well established. Several vitamins such as vitamin A, B6, B12, C, D, E and folate; trace elements including zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium and copper play essential physiological roles in promoting the immune system. Zinc is a trace element that plays a role in stimulating both innate and acquired immunity. It is an indispensable trace element essential for a thorough enzymatic physiological process. Zinc, together with natural scavenger cells and neutrophils, are also involved in developing cells responsible for regulating nonspecific immunity. The benefit of zinc supplementation on the immune system function has been previously observed in non-COVID-19 patients. However, there is inadequate evidence to support the use of zinc in treatment of COVID-19. Therefore, this review will discuss about the efficacy and safety of zinc supplementation as preventive & therapeutic agent as well as adjunctive therapy in treating patients with COVID-19.

J. Dhaka National Med. Coll. Hos. 2022; 28 (02): 39-44