The Role of Nutrients in Prevention, Treatment and Post-Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19)

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 14; no. 5; p. 1000
• Main Authors: Motti, Maria Letizia, Tafuri, Domenico, Donini, Lorenzo, Masucci, Maria Teresa, De Falco, Valentina, Mazzeo, Filomena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26.02.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Adaptive immunity; ARDS; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 vaccines; Cytokines; Dietary supplements; Disease prevention; Disease transmission; Fever; Humans; Immune response; Immune system; Infections; Inflammation; Long-COVID; Monoclonal antibodies; Mutation; Neutrophils; Nutrient availability; Nutrients; nutritional supplement; pandemic; Pandemics; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pneumonia; Prevention; Proteins; Review; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Signs and symptoms; Spike protein; Viral diseases; Viral infections; Viruses; Vitamin D; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; nutritional supplement; inflammation; Long-COVID; immune system; pandemic; ARDS
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14051000

SARS-CoV-2 virus, infecting human cells via its spike protein, causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is characterized by shortness of breath, fever, and pneumonia and is sometimes fatal. Unfortunately, to date, there is still no definite therapy to treat COVID-19. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) approved only supportive care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to maintain a correct intake of nutrients to support very weakened patients in overcoming disease arose. The literature available on nutrient intake for COVID-19 is mainly focused on prevention. However, the safe intake of micro- and/or macro-nutrients can be useful either for preventing infection and supporting the immune response during COVID-19, as well as in the post-acute phase, i.e., "long COVID", that is sometimes characterized by the onset of various long lasting and disabling symptoms. The aim of this review is to focus on the role of nutrient intake during all the different phases of the disease, including prevention, the acute phase, and finally long COVID.