1. Introduction
Since its initial reported outbreak in late 2019 (Zhu et al., 2020)⁠, corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) has exploded from a few people suffering from a respiratory disease in the Chinese city of Wuhan to a surging pandemic affecting hundreds of thousands around the globe. Current methods of pandemic control are confined only to public containment and private hygiene measures, while there are yet no established antiviral treatments and vaccine development may take as long as 18 months away (Kuchler et al., 2020).
Lactoferrin (Lf) is a naturally occurring and non-toxic glycoprotein that has been studied against a broad range of viruses including SARS-CoV, which is closely related to SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 (Chen et al., 2020)⁠. Furthermore, it has immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory characteristics which can positively modify host responses to infections (Legrand et al., 2006). Lf is available as an oral supplement, and studies suggest that supplemental Lf may treat or prevent a host of microbial infections (Bruni et al., 2016). Here we examine the antiviral properties and immunomodulatory mechanisms of Lf within the context of its potential applications against SARS-CoV-2 and propose the possibility of supplemental Lf as a potential preventative and adjunct treatment for COVID-19, a condition whose pathophysiology involves both viral infection and an excessive host response (Fung et al., 2020)⁠.