This study aimed to review zinc's effectiveness as an antivirus in treating herpes simplex virus infection. The authors use international journals published from 2000-2022, and use search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct with the keywords "zinc and herpes simplex virus". The herpes simplex virus that often causes symptoms in humans are HSV type 1 and type 2. The lesions appear as vesicles which then rupture into ulcers. Zinc is one of the most abundant nutrients or metals in the human body besides iron. Studies about the effects of zinc on HSV have shown that it has the function of inhibiting the viral life cycle. HSV attaches to the host cells to replicate and synthesize new viral proteins. Zinc can inhibit this process by depositing on the surface of the virion and inactivating the enzymatic function which is required for the attachment to the host cell, disrupting the surface glycoprotein of the viral membrane so it could not adhere and carry out the next life cycle, it can also inhibit the function of DNA polymerase that works for viral replication in the host cell. This article showed that zinc has effectiveness as an antivirus against the herpes simplex virus, therefore, patients infected with HSV can be treated with zinc as an alternative to an antivirus drug.
Introduction Oral candidiasis is an oral mucosal infection caused by Candida sp. This infection can appear in patients with HIV/AIDS associated with immunodeficiency. Another factor that can aggravate the occurrence of oral candidiasis is the COVID-19 infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a current pandemic condition. This case report aims to explain the mechanism of COVID-19 infection as a factor that can aggravate the condition of oral candidiasis in HIV/AIDS patients. Case A 56-year-old male patient was consulted from the COVID-19 isolation unit to the Department of Oral Medicine with complaints of sore and uncomfortable mouth related to white plaque covering the surface of the tongue. The patient was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and had a COVID-19 infection. The management instructions were to maintain oral hygiene, administration of antifungal drugs such as nystatin oral suspension and fluconazole, chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2% mouthwash, and vaseline album. Discussion Generally, HIV/AIDS patient has dysregulation of the immune system which can suppress host immunity to fight pathogens, making it easy for opportunistic infections such as oral candidiasis. The COVID-19 infection can cause lymphopenia conditions that further reduce the host’s ability to fight pathogens. The SARS-CoV-2 virus can also directly attack various tissues in the oral mucosa which can contribute to exacerbating the severity of oral candidiasis in HIV/AIDS patients. Conclusion The COVID-19 infection is a factor that can exacerbate the condition of oral candidiasis in HIV/AIDS patients by further decreasing the host’s immunity and damaging various tissues in the oral mucosa.
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