Bacteriophages: A Possible Choice for Treatment of Viral Respiratory Infections and COVID-19

Abstract: Viral respiratory infections are a leading cause of illness and mortality in all age groups worldwide. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world, igniting the twenty-first century’s deadliest pandemic. Research has shown that phages, which are bacterial viruses, can help treat viral infections with the effect on the immune system and their antiviral activity. Phages have specific activity and affect only the target without any side effects on other parts of the human body. Human phage-related diseases have not been reported yet; therefore, phages can be a very safe treatment, especially in many viral infections. The results of clinical studies have a promising future regarding the use of phages. It is possible that the phages display technique aided in the production of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies against its viral protein, which prevented the virus from binding or replicating and preventing secondary microbial infections, which have been linked to many patient deaths. Furthermore, an effective antiviral vaccine can be produced by using the same technique. Given the growing number of coronaviruses cases around the world, in the present paper, we review the possible mechanisms of phages against the COVID-19 disease and the method that may be a solution to eliminate the virus.