Does Lithium Deserve a Place in the Treatment Against COVID-19? A Preliminary Observational Study in Six Patients, Case Report

Abstract

Lithium has shown the capacity to: a) inhibit the replication of several types of viruses, some of which are similar to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, b) increase the immune response by reducing lymphopenia, and c) reduce inflammation by preventing or reducing the cytokine storm. In the present study, we have treated six patients with severe COVID-19 infection with lithium carbonate. We found that lithium carbonate significantly reduced plasma reactive C-Protein levels, increased lymphocyte numbers and decreased the neutrophillymphocyte ratio, improving both inflammatory activity and the immune response in these patients. We propose that lithium carbonate may deserve a place in the treatment against COVID-19.

The Potential Role of Lithium as an Antiviral Agent against SARS-CoV-2 via Membrane Depolarization: Review and Hypothesis

“…In a recent preliminary observational study, six patients with severe COVID-19 were treated with lithium carbonate. Those patients showed decreased reactive C-protein, increased lymphocyte numbers, and a decreased neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio [81]. This is consistent with the immunomodulation of lithium, and possibly with the other actions proposed in this paper.…”

“…Thus, if lithium is considered in COVID-19, it is important to assess the feasibility of using different routes of administration in patients who cannot tolerate the oral form. One possible way to involve oral lithium in such patients is to start with the conventional management of COVID-19 until the patients are stabilized and can take lithium orally [81].…”

Commentary: Does Lithium Deserve a Place in the Treatment Against COVID-19? A Preliminary Observational Study in Six Patients, Case Report

“…11. 10.3389/fphar.2020.557629 The manuscript by Spuch et al, provides interesting preliminary data in support of a possible role of lithium the treatment of patients with COVID-19 (Spuch et al, 2020). Although limited to six patients treated with different additional therapeutic approaches, it was encouraging that the authors found the lithium carbonate increased lymphocyte numbers, reduced plasma reactive C-Protein levels while decreasing the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio used as a measure for severe disease.…”

“…Does Lithium Deserve a Place in the Treatment Against COVID-19? A Preliminary Observational Study in Six Patients, Case Report by Spuch, C., López-García, M., Rivera-Baltanás, T., Rodrígues-Amorím, D., and Olivares, J. M. (2020). Does lithium deserve a place in the treatment against COVID-19?…”

The neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19: Interactions with psychiatric illness and pharmacological treatment

“…Recently, Pietruczuk et al [ 167 ] demonstrated that T lymphocytes of patients suffering from bipolar disorder that were treated with lithium or valproate, are characterized by pro-inflammatory activity, decreased proliferative activity and increased susceptibility to apoptosis. Finally, a case report by Spuch et al [ 317 ] showed that lithium carbonate improved inflammatory activity and immune response in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.…”