Researchers conducted a systematic review of articles that analyzed the effect of medicine remedies used to treat COVID-19 during pregnancy.
Researchers conducted a search between 1st of January and 5th of May, 2020, using the keywords “COVID-19,” “SARS-CoV-2,” “pregnancy,” and “therapy.” The analysis covered only drugs with presumptive effects on COVID-19 whose safe use during pregnancy has been proven by clinical trials in other infectious diseases. Drugs contraindicated in pregnancy or with unknown side effects were not included in this review.
“Pregnant women are a high-risk group for coronavirus complications. The situation is also complicated by the fact that not all medications can be prescribed to pregnant women due to their possible teratogenic effect on the fetus, which poses new challenges for the development of effective and safe medications for this category of COVID-19 patients”, — Anna Borisova, Ph.D. in Medicine, assistant of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Medicine, RUDN.
As a result of the study, scientists identified groups of drugs that can be used to treat COVID-19 during pregnancy, as well as indications for their prescription:
- Antiviral medications: lopinavir, ritonavir, remdesivir.
- Antimalarial medications: hydroxychloroquine.
- Anticoagulants medications: Low-molecular-weight heparin (due to increased risk of thromboembolic complications in patients with COVID-19).
- Steroids medications: betamethasone (to accelerate fetal lung maturation, since SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, may increase the risk of premature rupture of fetal membranes and premature birth).
- Antibacterials medications: amoxicillin, azithromycin, ceftriaxone (must be prescribed only if a bacterial infection is suspected).
- Metformin and statins (can be used as adjuvant therapy, to reduce the required dose of antiviral medication and, therefore, its side effects).
- Reconvalescent plasma (antibodies contained in the plasma of convalescents reduce the viral load, the severity of the disease, and improve aeration).
- Immunomodulators medications, such as tocilizumab.
- Interferon type I.
Matilda Pavlovna Mityaeva was born in 1925. In November 1942, she volunteered for frontline duty. She participated in the Great Patriotic War from November 1942 to June 1945 as part of the 53rd Infantry Division of the 475th Infantry Regiment. She was wounded twice.
The team led by Sergey Zyryanov, Head of the Department of General and Clinical Pharmacology, became the winner of the All-Russian competition of scientific projects "Technologies for Human Health".
RUDN University constantly adapts to the changes of the modern world and responds to challenges flexibly. This allows us to keep the standard of a world-class research university. The sphere of science is no exception. Peter Dokukin, Head of the Research Division, presented the updated R&D Programme at the meeting of the RUDN University Academic Council.
Matilda Pavlovna Mityaeva was born in 1925. In November 1942, she volunteered for frontline duty. She participated in the Great Patriotic War from November 1942 to June 1945 as part of the 53rd Infantry Division of the 475th Infantry Regiment. She was wounded twice.
The team led by Sergey Zyryanov, Head of the Department of General and Clinical Pharmacology, became the winner of the All-Russian competition of scientific projects "Technologies for Human Health".
RUDN University constantly adapts to the changes of the modern world and responds to challenges flexibly. This allows us to keep the standard of a world-class research university. The sphere of science is no exception. Peter Dokukin, Head of the Research Division, presented the updated R&D Programme at the meeting of the RUDN University Academic Council.