According to studies carried by scientists at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, a combination of SARS-CoV-2 therapy with zinc supplementation reduces the mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2 by 80%.
When an intensive search was conducted in the first weeks of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic for potential agents to help combat the coronavirus, it was zinc that caught the attention of scientists.
A few months later, more and more evidence is emerging that demonstrates the effectiveness of zinc in reducing the severity of the infection and in treating the disease itself.
Zinc exhibits broad intracellular activity by inhibiting many RNA viruses, including also coronaviruses. In 2010, it was discovered that zinc administered even in very low concentrations strongly inhibits SARS-CoV replication. Zinc atoms and its chelates directly block viral proteases and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase which are essential enzymes for viral entry and multiplication. There are also other important antiviral properties of zinc, such as anti-inflammatory, immune modulation or altered receptor binding and expression.
Recent studies demonstrate high efficacy of additive treatment with hydroxychloroquine (starting dose 400mg, maintenance dose 200mg) azithromycin (500mg) and zinc (50mg).
Additive synergism is a pharmacological interaction between two drugs administered together that is equal to the sum of the effects of the individual components of the therapy. Patients who received the above therapeutic regimen were discharged from hospitals on average four days faster than those who received only a combination of hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic. Among patients treated with the three-component regimen, the need for hospitalisation was less frequent (84% reduction) and mortality was reduced by 80% compared with the group of patients who did not receive additional zinc. The key mechanism explaining such effective pharmacotherapy is most likely the combination of zinc and hydroxychloroquine which is an ion transporter for the element into the cell. This allows zinc to increase its antiviral activity. here are also other compounds known to facilitate transport to cell centres. Flavonoids such as quercetin, found in large quantities in hawthorn and chestnut flowers, and epigallocatechin gallate, found especially in green tea, also increase the concentration of zinc in the intracellular fluid.
Unfortunately, zinc is not stored in the human body, which makes it necessary to continuously supply it through food or dietary supplements. The recommended daily intake of zinc is 11 mg per day for an adult, which, for example converted into zinc diglycinate in the form of monohydrate, amounts to 38.9 mg of this substance per day. t is estimated that approximately 20% of the world’s population is deficient in this mineral. This is particularly relevant for patients taking diuretics, hypertension and diabetes drugs as well as for the elderly. Furthermore, these patient groups are classified as being at particular risk of COVID-19-related complications.
Based on Joseph Brewer, Juan L. Gomez Marti, Adam Brufsky; Journal of Medical Virology, 2020;1–3 https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.26523
https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.26523
Prepared by: Aleksandra Borkowska (Advantic Sp. z o.o.)