How it works:

Though methylene blue started out as a textile dye, it has also been in use for over a century as a medicinal compound. Methylene blue is low-cost and safe at low dosages. Used to treat COVID-19, methylene blue can interact with the virus itself, blocking the viral replication process. Methylene in methylene blue can also interfere with pro-inflammatory cells and prevent the cytokine storm, which results from immune overreactivity, in the lungs. Methylene blue is also a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, which means it slows COVID-19 disease progression and increases oxygen saturation, which improves COVID-19 outcomes.

Dosage Form: Tablet Oral or IV, depending on the exact use (UpToDate lists many different doses based on different conditions).

Common Usage: It can improve the body’s ability to take up oxygen and improve liver function; it can also improve blood pressure and cardiac function in septic shock.