tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Cureus
. 2023 Apr 21;15(4):e37926.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.37926. eCollection 2023 Apr. Treatment of Long-Haul COVID Patients With Off-Label Acyclovir
Emily R German[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Meera K Jairath[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John Caston[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
The SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) became a global pandemic in March 2020. This novel, highly infectious virus caused millions of infections and deaths around the world. Currently, there are few medications that are available for the treatment of COVID-19. Those affected are most commonly given supportive care, with some experiencing symptoms for months. We report a series of four cases depicting the successful use of acyclovir in the treatment of the virus SARS-CoV-2 in patients with long-haul symptoms, especially those in the realm of encephalopathy and neurological problems. Treatment with acyclovir in these patients resolved their symptoms and lowered their IgG and IgM titers, supporting the use of acyclovir as a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 neurologic symptoms. We suggest the use of the antiviral medication, acyclovir, as a treatment for patients with long-term symptoms and unusual presentations of the virus, such as encephalopathy or coagulopathy.
Keywords: acyclovir therapy; coronavirus disease (covid-19); covid 19; covid long haul syndrome; covid-19 neurological outcomes; covid-19-related encephalopathy; long-haul covid; psychological issues due to covid-19.
. 2023 Apr 21;15(4):e37926.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.37926. eCollection 2023 Apr. Treatment of Long-Haul COVID Patients With Off-Label Acyclovir
Emily R German[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Meera K Jairath[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John Caston[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37228547
- PMCID: PMC10205150
- DOI: 10.7759/cureus.37926
The SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) became a global pandemic in March 2020. This novel, highly infectious virus caused millions of infections and deaths around the world. Currently, there are few medications that are available for the treatment of COVID-19. Those affected are most commonly given supportive care, with some experiencing symptoms for months. We report a series of four cases depicting the successful use of acyclovir in the treatment of the virus SARS-CoV-2 in patients with long-haul symptoms, especially those in the realm of encephalopathy and neurological problems. Treatment with acyclovir in these patients resolved their symptoms and lowered their IgG and IgM titers, supporting the use of acyclovir as a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 neurologic symptoms. We suggest the use of the antiviral medication, acyclovir, as a treatment for patients with long-term symptoms and unusual presentations of the virus, such as encephalopathy or coagulopathy.
Keywords: acyclovir therapy; coronavirus disease (covid-19); covid 19; covid long haul syndrome; covid-19 neurological outcomes; covid-19-related encephalopathy; long-haul covid; psychological issues due to covid-19.