TMPRSS2 inhibitors, Bromhexine, Aprotinin, Camostat and Nafamostat as potential treatments for COVID-19.

In December 2019 SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan, China, leading to a pandemic in March 2020. Although clinical presentation of COVID-19 ranges from no symptoms to acute respiratory and multiorgan failure, the vast majority of the patients only experience flu-like symptoms. However because of highly contagious nature of the disease, overall COVID-19 is considered a global health burden. Since ACE2, TMPRSS2 expressing cells are the potential hosts for the virus, inhibiting TMPRSS2 by clinically proven protease inhibitors Bromhexine, Aprotinin, Camostat and Nafamostat are suggested as potential treatments for COVID-19.