New Hopes for the Treatment of COVID-19 and Their MechanisticApproaches: Future Prospective

The causative pathogen of COVID-19 is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which primarily affects the respiratory system. SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in Wuhan, China, in 2019 and was declared a pandemic in March 2020. It was fatal for a significant portion of the global population and spread easily through direct contact and inhalation of droplets from infected individuals. Additionally, asymptomatic transmission facilitated its rapid global spread. The pandemic overwhelmed healthcare systems in most countries and caused extensive economic damage. Many countries continue to experience recurrent waves of this viral illness. Since the initial outbreak, several SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified, including Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529). In this review, all possible treatment strategies-such as conventional antiviral drugs, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and convalescent plasma therapy-that are still under clinical trials are discussed. Although multiple clinical trials have been conducted, COVID-19 management remains challenging, and the search for an optimal, evidence-based therapeutic approach is ongoing. Several vaccines have been approved and marketed; however, research continues to evaluate their effectiveness against reinfection and emerging variants. This article aims to provide a rapid, comprehensive, and up-to-date summary of the outbreak and dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 and its variant Omicron, with emphasis on diagnostic testing, clinical manifestation, clinical trials, and available major therapeutic options