Abstract
ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the role of antiviral drugs in reducing the risk of developing severe illness in patients with moderate COVID-19 pneumonia.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 403 adult patients with moderate COVID-19 pneumonia who were admitted to Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, China. The antiviral drugs arbidol, interferon alpha-1b, lopinavir–ritonavir and ribavirin were distributed to the patients for treatment. The primary endpoint of this study was the time to develop severe illness.ResultsOf the 462 patients admitted, 403 had moderate COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission and were included in this study. 90 of the 403 (22.3%) patients progressed to severe illness. The use of arbidol was associated with a lower severity rate 3.5% compared to control group 30.5%, p-value < 0.0001; the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.28 (95% CI: 0.084–0.90, p = 0.033). The use of interferon alpha-1b was associated with a lower severity rate 15.5% compared to control group 29.3%, with p-value < 0.0001; the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.30 (95% CI: 0.15–0.58, p = 0.0005). The use of lopinavir–itonavir and ribavirin did not show significant differences in adjusted regression models. Early use of arbidol within 7 days of symptom onset was significantly associated with a reduced recovery time of − 5.2 days (IQR − 3.0 to − 7.5, p = 4e−06) compared with the control group.ConclusionTreatment with arbidol and interferon alpha-1b contributes to reducing the severity of illness in patients with moderate COVID-19 pneumonia. Early use of arbidol may reduce patients’ recovery time.
Highlights
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) has been detected since December 2019 and confirmed of person-to-person transmission
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected more than 127 million patients with more than 2.7 million deaths in more than 230 countries and regions [1]
Drug use was evaluated by comparing groups of patients taking (Yes) or not taking the drug (No) during their hospital stay
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) has been detected since December 2019 and confirmed of person-to-person transmission. Drug repurposing has been proposed as an option to fight SARS-CoV-2, for example, the antiviral drugs. Sanders et al and pharmacists in Elsevier’s Clinical Solutions group reviewed current evidence regarding major proposed treatments, repurposed or experimental information for COVID-19 and provided a summary of contemporary clinical experience and treatment guidance for this novel epidemic coronavirus [4, 5]. They investigated multiple drugs that were already in clinical use, for instance, remdesivir, chloroquine, favipiravir, lopinavir, and anticoagulation, and listed a variety of clinical drug details. The efficiency of using approved antiviral drugs to treat COVID-19 patients remains unclear (Table 1)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
