1 - Introduction
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19)[1]. According to the WHO, this virus has been declared pandemic, and to date (7thJune), a total of 6,799,713 diagnosed cases and 397,388 deaths have been confirmed[2].
The treatment of choice for this new disease remains unknown, so it is urgent to find effective and safe treatments. Lopinavir/ritonavir, hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine with or without azithromycin, remdesivir, tocilizumab/sarilumab, nitazoxanide, ivermectin… have been employed. Excepting from remdesivir (that in a recent clinical trial was associated with improved clinical outcomes), high quality clinical data to support the evidence (or lack of) of the rest of the treatments are still lacking[3–6].
Azithromycin has been proposed as a potential therapy for SARS-CoV-2 given its antiviral, immunomodulatory and antibacterial activity[7,8]. However, its role in the treatment of COVID-19 remains unclear.
The objective of this review was to summarize the potential usefulness of azithromycin in the treatment of COVID-19.