Table 1.

List of currently approved and investigational treatments for COVID-19 and their potential cardiac side effects.

Class	Drug	Mechanism	Efficacy and Dosing	Potential cardiac side effects
Antiviral	Remdesivir	Nucleotide analog and inhibits viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase	In hospitalized patients not requiring mechanical ventilation; 200 mg IV initially and then 100 mg once daily for 4–9 days (total 5–10 days) [103]	QT prolongation, Bradycardia.
	Favipiravir	RNA polymerase inhibitor	Limited data; high-quality trials are ongoing.	QTc prolongation (maybe due to combination with other antivirals) [104], [105]
	Lopinavir/Ritonavir	Lopinavir is a protease inhibitor. Ritonavir increases bioavailability of lopinavir via CYP3A4 inhibition.	Role in COVID-19 treatment is controversial.	Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) elevation leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD), QT prolongation [106], [107]
	Molnupiravir	Enhances viral RNA mutations and impairs virus replication [108]	Phase 3 clinical trials still ongoing – 200/400/800 mg twice daily for 5 days [109]	No significant side effects
	Oseltamivir	Neuraminidase inhibitor [110]	Limited data on efficacy against COVID-19	No significant side effects
	Umifenovir	Inhibition of viral membrane fusion [111]	Limited data on efficacy against COVID-19. 200 mg PO (1 capsule is 100 mg) thrice a day for up to 14 days [112]	No significant side effects
Glucocorticoids	Dexamethasone	Immunosuppressive and an anti-inflammatory agent	Reduces all-cause mortality in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 disease. Administered as 6 mg IV daily for 10 days or until discharge.	Decreased resting heart rate [113]
Immunosuppressants	Tocilizumab	IL-6 receptor blocker	Reduces all-cause mortality in hospitalized patients requiring supplemental oxygen within 24 h of admission to ICU. 400 mg IV – one dose only [114]	Increased risk of secondary infections. Avoid use in conjunction with JK inhibitors.
	Barcitinib	Janus-kinase inhibitor	May reduce all-cause mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen or non-invasive ventilation. 4 mg PO once daily for up to 14 days [115]	Do not use in conjunction with IL-6 inhibitors.