Traditional Therapies Involving Nutrition for the Management of COVID-19

Abstract: The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes ARDS, respiratory failure, organ failure, and even death. The immunopathology associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus involves an overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, commonly referred to as a "cytokine storm." SARS-CoV-2 is a positive-sense RNA virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic kept the world silent since its emergence by engulfing most public activities. The symptoms of COVID-19 like coughing, fatigue, dysphagia, and poor appetite reduce the nutritional intake among the patients. Therefore, the nutritional status of the infected patients needs monitoring. The deficiency of nutrition puts the patients at high risk during clinical therapy. Moreover, insufficient micronutrients lead to weakened immune responses, causing improper cytokine secretion, changes in secretory antibody response, and reduced antibody affinity; all of which enhance the vulnerability of viral infections. As the pandemic is affecting a large number of people all over the world, there is an urgent requirement for newer therapies/therapeutics with nutritional information for hospitalized and recovered patients of COVID-19. Hospitalized patients are highly at risk of malnutrition, weight loss, muscle loss, etc. Therefore, nutritional support is essential for COVID-19 patients. Based on the recent reports obtained from the COVID-19 resources; the present review describes the various clinical therapies, the involvement of nutritional support, the role of diet, the modified lifestyle, and micronutrients (zinc, selenium, and vitamin D) in the management of COVID-19 patients.