Are Antihistamines Effective vs. COVID-19?

• Position: OFF-LABEL MEDICATIONS

Three common antihistamine medications have been found in preliminary tests to inhibit infection of cells by the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, University of Florida health researchers have found.

Their findings, based on laboratory tests of cells and a detailed analysis of nearly 250,000 patients' medical records, appear in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. The data may support the launch of a randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine whether the specific antihistamines can treat or even prevent COVID-19 in humans.

The researchers set out to identify approved drugs that can interfere with the way the SARS-CoV-2 virus binds to cells. Blocking that connection essentially locks a cellular doorway that inhibits the virus' transmission to the respiratory system.

"We discovered epidemiological data showing that the usage of specific drugs was associated with a reduced likelihood of testing positive for SARS-CoV2. We then found that these specific drugs exhibited direct antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in the lab," explains David A. Ostrov, an immunologist and associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine.

While there is an association between the medications and infection rates, the...