Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia.
J Food Biochem. 2021 Feb;45(2):e13604. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.13604. Epub 2021 Jan 17.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The COVID-19 pandemic has created unimaginable and unprecedented global health crisis. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, millions of dollars have been spent, hospitalization overstretched with increasing morbidity and mortality. All these have resulted in unprecedented global economic catastrophe. Several drugs and vaccines are currently being evaluated, tested, and administered in the frantic efforts to stem the dire consequences of COVID-19 with varying degrees of successes. Zinc possesses potential health benefits against COVID-19 pandemic by improving immune response, minimizing infection and inflammation, preventing lung injury, inhibiting viral replication through the interference of the viral genome transcription, protein translation, attachment, and host infectivity. However, this review focuses on the various mechanisms of action of zinc and its supplementation as adjuvant for vaccines an effective therapeutic regimen in the management of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), has brought unprecedented untold hardship to both developing and developed countries. The global race for vaccine development against COVID-19 continues with success in sight with attendant increasing hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. Available drugs with anti-inflammatory actions have become alternative to stem the tide of COVID-19 with attendant global financial crises. However, Zinc is known to modulate several physiological functions including intracellular signaling, enzyme function, gustation, and olfaction, as well as reproductive, skeletal, neuronal, and cardiovascular systems. Hence, achieving a significant therapeutic approach against COVID-19 could imply the use of zinc as a supplement together with available drugs and vaccines waiting for emergency authorization to win the battle of COVID-19. Together, it becomes innovative and creative to supplement zinc with currently available drugs and vaccines.
严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒 2 型（SARS-CoV-2）是 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的病原体。COVID-19 大流行造成了难以想象和前所未有的全球健康危机。自 COVID-19 爆发以来，已经花费了数百万美元，住院人数不断增加，发病率和死亡率不断上升，导致了前所未有的全球经济灾难。目前正在评估、测试和使用几种药物和疫苗，以疯狂努力阻止 COVID-19 的可怕后果，取得了不同程度的成功。锌通过改善免疫反应、最大限度地减少感染和炎症、预防肺损伤、通过干扰病毒基因组转录、蛋白质翻译、附着和宿主感染力来抑制病毒复制，从而具有防治 COVID-19 大流行的潜在健康益处。然而，本综述重点介绍了锌的各种作用机制及其作为疫苗佐剂的补充，以及在管理肆虐的 COVID-19 大流行方面的有效治疗方案。实际应用：严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒 2 型（SARS-CoV-2）是 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的病原体，给发展中国家和发达国家带来了前所未有的巨大困难。全球对抗 COVID-19 的疫苗开发竞赛取得了成功的曙光，随之而来的是住院人数、发病率和死亡率的增加。具有抗炎作用的现有药物已成为遏制 COVID-19 潮流的替代药物，随之而来的是全球金融危机。然而，锌已知可调节包括细胞内信号转导、酶功能、味觉和嗅觉以及生殖、骨骼、神经元和心血管系统在内的几种生理功能。因此，实现针对 COVID-19 的显著治疗方法可能意味着将锌作为补充剂与现有的药物和疫苗一起使用，等待紧急授权以赢得 COVID-19 的战斗。将锌与现有的药物和疫苗一起补充具有创新性和创造性。
