Heparin, a common, cheap, already FDA approved drug may treat Covid-19 virus by blocking the “spike” the virus uses to attach to the human ACE2 receptor on cells.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses a surface spike protein to latch onto human cells and initiate infection. But heparin, a blood thinner also available in non-anticoagulant varieties, binds tightly with the surface spike protein, potentially blocking the infection from happening. This makes it a decoy, which might be introduced into the body using a nasal spray or nebulizer and run interference to lower the odds of infection. Similar decoy strategies have already shown promise in curbing other viruses, including influenza A, Zika, and dengue.
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This is further good news to go along with Famotidine (PepcidAC) Raloxifene (Evista) and the cheap steroid Dexamethasone
