Interferon treatment has shown mixed efficiency against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
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SARS-CoV-2 is probably more sensitive to interferon than the other coronaviruses.
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The IFNβ subtype appears to be the most suited for COVID-19 treatment.
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Interferon treatment should be performed in the early stages of the infection.
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Investigation on interferon-based COVID-19 treatment is warranted.
Abstract
Type 1 interferons have a broad antiviral activity in vitro and are currently evaluated in a clinical trial to treat MERS-CoV. In this review, we discuss preliminary data concerning the potential activity of type 1 interferons on SARS-CoV-2, and the relevance of evaluating these molecules in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19.