The latest news have surprised even me: scientists think of the possibility to use the well-known Viagra blue pills as a treatment for COVID-19. On the other hand, right now, the scientific community knows little about a new disaster and how to deal with it, as well as about the possible treatment methods.
However, the very idea of using Viagra for COVID seems logical. This drug enhances the synthesis of nitric oxide by the cells of the body and dilates blood vessels. So, it allows better supply organs with oxygen. Thus, scientists hope that Viagra (Sildenafil) will expand the small vessels in the lungs and improve the vital indicators of patients with COVID-19. First of all, it concerns breathing easier.
Not the first time that Viagra has proven to be a multidisciplinary drug
Surely many heard that Viagra was originally created not for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, but for completely different purposes. Pharmacologists hoped to find a new cure for patients with heart and vascular diseases. But then, during the first tests, the drug showed an amazing effect on male sexual function. So, as everyone knows, doctors almost abandoned the use of Sildenafil (Viagra) as a heart and blood pressure remedy, and offered a new product to men with impotence. And it still works great. For more than two decades, men all over the world have found this medicine both effective and safe.
How can doctors use Viagra for COVID
Thus, a new proposal can make Sildenafil an even more multifunctional remedy. Of course, Viagra for COVID cannot work just like a remedy against a new pathogen. First of all, the very idea of using the drug involves helping to combat the bad effects of the disease. We all know that the virus primarily affects the lungs, but can also have a negative effect on other organs, including the heart. The ability of nitric oxide to relax blood vessels might help relieve symptoms and recover more quickly. Moreover, Viagra might be tested on medical personnel working with COVID-19 patients as a means of prevention. Scientists think that Sildenafil could even help avoid mechanical ventilation.
More details of the theory about the use of Viagra for COVID
Now experts want to test the effect of this drug to combat the consequences of COVID-19 in people who already have breathing problems, but who do not yet need mechanical ventilation. Scientists believe that Viagra will help expand the vessels that transport oxygen throughout the body. Also, they hope that patients will be able to overcome the respiratory complications due to the new virus.