Researchers can submit potential antiviral molecules for screening
Six months into the pandemic, people diagnosed with mild cases of COVID-19 still are told to isolate themselves and wait out the infection at home. Doctors monitor such patients so they can intervene if their condition deteriorates, but no antiviral drugs have been shown to hasten recovery or forestall severe illness in people who are not sick enough to be hospitalized. Consequently, the hunt is still on for compounds that inactivate the COVID-19 virus and have potential to be developed as antiviral drugs.