The virus can be halted by introducing chemicals of similar structure to the protein chains used by the virus. These enzyme inhibitors keep the virus from replicating, much like changing a small piece of code in a program can keep it from functioning. The drugs currently being developed are just beginning to undergo initial testing for safety and tolerability. Belief that hydroxychloroquine can act as an inhibitor is based on a non-controlled, non-randomized, open-label observational study, and there’s no mechanism for understanding its effects on the virus.
Click above to listen to part 2 of Treating the Virus, featuring Mark Denison, professor of pathology, microbiology, and immunology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he is developing antiviral drugs to combat Covid-19.
Treating the Virus:
Part 1: Deepta Bhattacharya / Testing for Covid-19
Part 2: Mark Denison / Antiviral Drugs
Part 3: Mark Denison / How Treatments Work
