While the world is in panic amid the current outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19), the pharmaceutical industry is racing to find a cure that can be patented and sold for big profits. But is there already an effective treatment available to help combat the deadly effects of the novel coronavirus out of China?
One study published in the Journal of Antivirals and Antiretrovirals suggests maybe. The published study describes the results of a test of combination of a couple of different over-the-counter supplements including D, L-lysine acetylsalicylate and glycine (Aspirin).
L-Lysine is a common amino acid found in nutrition and supplement stores around the globe and is readily available in many forms. Since L-Lysine is a naturally-occurring substance, the substance itself cannot be patented. Therefore there is little to no profit-motivation for pharmaceutical companies to fund clinical trials and promote these products. This is why you will often find disclaimers on the labels stating that the FDA has not validated the effectiveness of these supplements or that they are not intended to cure any disease. Essentially, it’s just legal mumbo-jumbo.
But this particular study has not made widespread rounds in the blogosphere or social media yet during this crisis. The study, however, suggests that L-Lysine could possibly be a candidate for combating this disease.
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The study reads,
In conclusion, we were able to demonstrate that LASAG inhibits virus-induced NF-κB activity, which might be connected to the antiviral effect against CoV, including the impaired formation of RTCs and/or DMVs in CoV-infected cells, leading to reduced viral RNA production and consequently decreased production of viral proteins, resulting in an overall diminished virus titre.
Of course, this was published 4 years ago and did not take into account some of the differences between the more common coronaviruses and the one the world is dealing with right now. The study does, however, seem to suggest that it was effective in treating other deadly coronaviruses such as the 2003 SARS-CoV and the 2016 MERS-CoV outbreaks. It could be worth looking into and, in conclusion, it probably wouldn’t hurt.
