The Role of Conventional and Alternative Therapy in the Treatment of Covid-19: A Review

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease that has resulted in high morbidity and mortality rates. Currently, there is no antiviral treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, with symptomatic management being the only available management. The objective of this review is to evaluate the role of the combination of conventional and alternative therapy as well as the treatments individually in managing COVID-19. Methods: Three electronic databases including Google Scholar, PubMed (MEDLINE) and ClinicalKey were used to identify papers published in 2020 using the keywords ‘COVID-19’, ‘conventional treatment’, ‘conventional therapy’, ‘alternative therapy’ and ‘treatment of COVID-19’. Results: Conventional therapy which include Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, Remdesivir and Favipiravir all show antiviral properties against SARS-COV2. In addition, alternative therapies such as honeybee products, Chinese Herbal Therapy, Nigella Sativa and Curcumin also demonstrate potent inhibitory activity against the SARS-COV2. Certain combination treatment of conventional and alternative therapy have shown a quicker symptom improvement and recovery rate compared to conventional therapy alone. Conclusion: In conclusion, the combination of conventional and alternative therapy has shown to be a more suitable treatment option than conventional therapy alone. However, more rigorous randomized controlled studies should be conducted to not only further evaluate the efficacy but also the side effects, cost, availability, and its applicability to the wider general population.