Progesterone and estradiol may be beneficial for the treatment of
COVID-19 (HYPOTHESIS PAPER)
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has claimed more than 300,000 lives while infecting 4 million
individuals worldwide. There are no specific treatments for COVID-19.
Symptoms vary from very mild/asymptomatic to severe, including admission
to ICU. Strong sex-bias in COVID-19 have been noted with males showing
more than double the odds of requiring ICU admission and higher
mortality. Reproductive steroids, including estrogens, progesterone and
its physiologically-active metabolite, allopregnanolone exert
anti-inflammatory actions and influence the immune system. Intriguingly,
pregnant women with COVID-19 appear to experience milder symptoms. In
some pregnant women escalated symptoms severity is observed immediately
postpartum in coincidence with the rapid hormonal drop associated with
parturition. This finding suggests that reproductive steroids’
anti-inflammatory effects and their role in reshaping competence of
immune cells may protect during pregnancy. The hypothesis that
estradiol, progesterone may provide a treatment against COVID-19 in men
and in postmenopausal women is discussed.