Potential coronavirus drugs, illustration. Clockwise from upper left are molecules of the nucleotide analogue remdesivir, the antiretroviral protease inhibitor lopinavir, the protease inhibitor camostat mesilate and the antimalaria and antiviral drug chloroquine. At centre is a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus particle. These drugs are being investigated as treatments for covid-19, the respiratory infection caused by the Sars-CoV-2 (previously 2019-nCoV) virus. Camostat and lopinavir block the virus from entering human cells. Remdesivir disrupts the production of RNA (ribonucleic acid), the coronavirus genome and so stops the virus from replicating. Chloroquine's mechanism of action against the virus remains unclear. Sars-CoV-2 was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As of earl April 2020, the virus has spread to many countries worldwide and has been declared a pandemic. Over 1.1 million have been infected with over 62,000 deaths.