Utility of Lactoferrin as a Preventive Agent for Healthcare Workers Exposed to COVID-19

COVID 19, which probably started from zoonotic transmission related to crowded markets in China was announced as a pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020. There is currently no clinically proven specific antiviral agents available for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Supportive treatment, including oxygen therapy, fluid management, and broad-spectrum antibiotics to cover secondary bacterial infection, remains the most important management strategy. Since its discovery, lactoferrin and its related peptides are considered non-specific host defense molecules against a broad range of viruses including SARS-CoV, which is closely related to SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Besides reducing viral entry, lactoferrin can also suppress virus replication after the viral entry and has an immunomodulatory effect that can prevent the cytokine storm associated with COVID-19. The aim of our study is to assess the safety and efficacy of lactoferrin within the context of SARS-CoV-2 and propose the possibility of supplemental lactoferrin as a potential preventive drug for healthcare workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2.