COVID-19 infection and oxidative stress: an under-explored approach for prevention and treatment?

Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance in the body between the oxidizing system, consisting mainly of free radicals, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) [1], and antioxidant systems that neutralize these free radicals capable of multiple deleterious effects.This oxidative stress is involved in aging [2] and is found in certain chronic pathologies such as diabetes mellitus, cancers, hypertension, coronary heart disease, etc. [3] and certain infections, particularly by the RNA viruses [4], a family to which belong corona viruses [5].The objective of this work is to explain the role of oxidative stress in RNA virus infections and probably also in Covid 19 infection, in order to propose measures for prevention and treatment of this deadly infection which has already caused more than 118000 deaths worldwide [6].This is an analysis of literature about oxidative stress, ways to counteract it, known links with certain RNA viruses and possible links with the new Corona virus.