Finding both treatment and vaccine for the novel coronavirus seems mandatory. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause a lot of sorrow and restrictions throughout the world. The situation is even worsening in certain regions of the planet (USA, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, etc.), and things will even get more unbearable if the scientists don’t come up with solutions soon.
The drug chloroquine has been proven to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the case of African green monkey kidney cells. While this provided a lot of hope that doctors could use chloroquine for humans that catch the new coronavirus, another study has come to shatter our hopes. The Infection Biology Unit from the German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen, and colleagues at the Charité in Berlin are the ones responsible for the new findings. They have shown that chloroquine cannot prevent infection of human lung cells with SARS-CoV-2.
Humanity has to find other ways of fighting against COVID-19
Whether we like it or not, this is the conclusion of the new study. Stefan Pöhlmann, who is head of the Infection Biology Unit at DPZ, declared:
In this study, we show that the antiviral activity of chloroquine is cell type-specific and that chloroquine does not block the infection of lung cells. This means that in future tests of potential COVID-19 drugs, care should be taken that relevant cell lines are used for the investigations in order not to waste unnecessary time and resources in our search for effective COVID-19 therapeutics,
He further added:
COVID-19 is primarily caused by the infection of lung cells, for this reason these cells should be given priority in efficacy tests.
Ultimately, the best way to protect ourselves against COVID-19 is represented by our own actions. Wearing a mask, washing our hands, and staying away from crowds remain the best ways of protection.
