Is high Dose Intravenous Vitamin C Safe to Use in SARSCoV-2 Treatment?

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease which occurred in China in late 2019 and caused pandemia is an important public health problem. The virus has been found to be a member of the beta-coronavirus family of the same species as the SARS-CoV and SARS-related bat CoV's. The way it spreads indicates that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted from person to person and be more contagious than SARS-CoV. In general, SARS-CoV-2 is an acute disease, but it can be fatal and its mortality is around 2-3%. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the most important cause of death. Due to cytokines storm, hyperinflammation is a distinctive feature of ARDS, leading to cellular injury, organ failure and death. A fast, accessible, effective and safe treatment is required to save lives and reduce spreading. However, there is still no vaccine or drug developed for the prevention or definitive treatment of SARS-CoV-2. In addition to broad-spectrum antivirals and some other substances for the treatment of the disease, high-dose intravenous (i.v.) vitamin C (VC) is also recommended to take advantage of the antiviral and antioxidant effect. However, it has a pro-oxidant effect rather than an antioxidant. The cumulative effect of oxidative stress caused by inflammation and VC, besides the antiviral effect, can cause serious inflammation and oxidative damage to the tissues. In this review, the function, antiviral efficacy and possible negative consequences of high dose i.v. VC recommended for SARS-CoV2 treatment will be discussed in the light of the literature.