Abstract
Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol (EtOH), is a linear alkyl chain alcohol, whose condensed structural formula is CH3CH2OH. Besides the common industrial and recreational uses (spirits, cosmetics, fuelling, etc.), EtOH is considered a medicament and listed in the European and US Pharmacopeias. Medically, EtOH is mainly employed as an antidote in methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning, as an excipient in many medicaments, as a sclerosant agent, and as a powerful disinfectant. Less recently, EtOH was shown to be both effective and safe in the treatment of pulmonary edema and cough. This chapter deals with EtOH use in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 treatments.