Role of antihistamines in the management of COVID-19 infection

ABSTRACT

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic is considered as the biggest challenge not only to modern medicine but to all mankind. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of specific effective medications/ drugs against the virus. Coronavirus disease management is a continuous process of constant updating. Method: Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus include dry and lingering cough, and less common symptoms-a skin rash, respectively. During the course of infection an active involvement of allergic mechanisms type can be observed, leading to the need for including anti-allergic medications in the management of Covid infection. Results: During the course of infection an active involvement of allergic mechanisms of pathogenic type can be observed, leading to the need for including anti-allergic medications in the management of Covid infection. This clinical symptom persisted in the post-covid period. The above-mentioned aroused our interest and the study of post-covid patients experiencing post-covid symptoms such as lingering cough and a prolonged feeling of respiratory failure was conducted. It is noteworthy to emphasize that according to the results of clinical and laboratory studies, no sharp changes in allergic diagnostic parameters in the blood of these patients were revealed. Therefore, the empirical prescription of antiallergic drugs based on symptoms was chosen as a research tactic. 56 patients involved in the study (18 to 65 years of age, 33 women, 23 men) with dry and lingering cough symptoms were prescribed an inhaled form of local glucocorticosteroid-Budesond with generic active substance, leukotriene receptor antagonist, and antihistamines. Follow-up showed that the clinical effect was more pronounced in patients administering montelukast/desloratadine or levocetirizine in combination than in patients who were taking montelukast and/or desloratadine or levocetirizine separately. Monitoring of the patients revealed that 45 (80%) patients receiving above complex treatment had sooth in cough as a symptom, however, the clinical effect was obtained after nearly 10 days of treatment while 11 (20%) patients failed to achieve clinical efficacy with this treatment regimen Conclusion: Research monitoring has confirmed the ancillary effect of antiallergic drugs, however, the issue of Covid infection management still remains open and research in this direction still continues to be active around the world.