Activity of the chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and mefloquine in front of the SARS-CoV-2

Introduction: Identifying the main advances in the pharmacological and clinical management of the pandemic COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2, the most recent and currently taking lives worldwide, is to priority of the scientific community that to date have rehearsed and joined efforts in order to respond with effective treatments that stop the progression of the viral infection and manage to recover the patient. Objective: To document available information on the effects of the antimalarials chloroquine / hydroxychloroquine and mefloquine in severe acute respiratory syndrome, generated by SARS CoV-2, according to updates of the best scientific evidence, according to the evolution of the epidemic. Material and Methods: Descriptive documentary study consisting of the selection and review of scientific material whose subject is COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 based on published evidence from bibliographic sources seeking different therapeutic options to combat the disease at the same time ace necessary preventive measures plough implemented worldwide. The databases consulted were Scopus, Head office Pubmed and Scielo. Results: 132 articles related to the search were obtained in the first instance, of which they were filtered and prioritized by thematic relevance until 60 articles with to broad relationship were located. The largest number of articles was published between 2015 and 2020 (n = 26; 43.3%). It have been shown that the mechanism of today's SARS-CoV-2 is similar to that of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, in the same way; they share the symptoms shown by patients with COVID-19 such ace: fever, non-productive cough, dyspnea, myalgia, fatigue, normal or decreased white blood cell counts. Conclusions: The activity of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in viruses is the same since the mechanism of action of these two molecules is identical. Given the pandemic, the use of these drugs is suggested in the management of patients with SARS CoV-2 / COVID-19 infection that have no contraindication for their use and the cardiac toxicity derived from these ace to cause of mortality should not be forgotten, due to what therapy must be individualized. The mefloquine is not recommended due to its neurotoxic effect and association with neuropsychiatric adverse reactions.