The Potential Impact of Zinc Supplementation on COVID-19 Pathogenesis 

Inga Wessels, Benjamin Rolles, and Lothar Rink 

New treatment options for the coronavirus are desperately needed during the latest  pandemic. Because of the accelerated spread of the disease and the large number of people  infected around the world, cost-effective, globally accessible, and healthy solutions with limited  side effects and easy implementation are urgently needed. As zinc satisfies all the above  requirements, this study will focus on its potential as a preventive and therapeutic agent, either  alone or in conjunction with other strategies. Zinc deficiency will possibly be applied to the  factors predisposing individuals to infection and COVID-19 development because zinc is needed  to maintain natural tissue barriers such as the respiratory epithelium, which inhibit pathogen  entry, as well as for a healthy immune system and redox system. Finally, because of its direct  antiviral properties, zinc supplementation is likely to be beneficial to the majority of the  population, including those with low zinc levels.