1. Give a short and critical explanation of the rationale of using fluvoxamine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) in the treatment of Covid patients. Your answer must be properly and appropriately referenced (in-text references as well). 

Fluvoxamine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is approved for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including depression.

Fluvoxamine has an anti-inflammatory effect and could be useful in the treatment of Covid-19. Within a murine sepsis model, it was found that Fluvoxamine binds to the zigma-1 receptor of immune cells and then leads to reduced production of inflammatory cytokines. (Covid-19 treatment guidelines) this is important, because the Covid-19 virus increases the secretion rate of cytokines and is there for responsible for inflammation, especially in the lungs.

According to The Medical letter published on the 3^rd of May 2021, sigma-1 agonism inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and modulates the inflammatory response. It assumes that fluvoxamine theoretically prevents the development of life-threatening cytokine storm and acute respiratory distress syndrome in coronavirus COVID-19.

https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/immunomodulators/fluvoxamine/

The Medical letter. 2021. https://secure.medicalletter.org/w1623d Date of access: 03 May 2021.