Antiviral Therapies: A Concise Guide to the Most Sought-for Panacea for Infections

Antivirals are used to treat various types of infections. They don't kill the virus right away, but keep them from spreading. Antiviral drugs are a category of antimicrobials which is a larger group including antibiotic, anti-parasitic, antifungal, and monoclonal antibodies based on antiviral drugs.

Antivirals are used extensively to treat infections, as they are considered relatively harmless to the host. There are many ways an antiviral drug is used to help treat or prevent infections:

1. Antivirals prevent a viral infection from getting a grip

Influenza-like viruses might attach to the human cells before it becomes infectious and spread. In such cases, antiviral drugs are used to trick the virus and get it attached to the medication instead of the human cells. This way it helps to prevent the infection.

2. It restricts with the virus' reproduction ability

Entering inside a human cell, the virus starts to multiply itself. The more it reproduces, the more severe the infection becomes. Antiviral medicines and therapies can stop this process of reproducing copies of the virus inside the cell. This helps in reducing the harshness of the symptoms and speeding up the recovery of the patient.

3. Antivirals curb the spread of the virus

Once a virus reproduces and fills the cell with its copies, it releases all of those copies which then infect the entire bloodstream. It can be prevented by using antiviral therapy. It helps to stop the spread by preventing the release of the virus copies from its source, the cells. Relenza is this kind of antivirals.

Using Antiviral Therapy in the Treatment of COVID-19

Antiviral therapy [UG1] is one of the most stimulating aspects of virology. It has been generating quite effective treatments for severe viral infections with the smart application of basic science throughout years.

A survey was conducted in 2015 which was administered to more than 12 million individuals with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The study proved the potential impact of antivirals on a lethal, chronic infection.

This surprising advance has made it clear that it will be reiterated for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The development of new antiviral drugs is very much a work in progress, with active drug discovery programs for filoviruses, coronaviruses, dengue, and others.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication has led to many clinical manifestations of COVID-19.  Antiviral therapies are being examined as a possible treatment for COVID-19. These drugs prevent viral membrane fusion and endocytosis, viral entry (via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 [ACE2] receptor and transmembrane serine protease 2 [TMPRSS2]), or the activity of the SARS-CoV-2 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. It is necessary to understand the role of antivirals in treating mild, moderate, severe, and critical illness in order to optimize treatment for people with COVID-19.

Conclusion

Because of all the amazing properties of antiviral drugs and therapies, the global antiviral therapies market has experienced a significant growth in recent years. The COVID-19 emergency period has had a positive impact on the global antiviral therapies market growth in 2020. This growth can mainly be attributed to the rising R&D activities to find suitable antiviral drug for coronavirus treatment.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.