Screening for oropharyngeal dysphagia in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a prospective study.

PURPOSE: To screen for oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. METHODS: A descriptive longitudinal study was conducted on 500 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 in the age range of 19-65 years who were admitted to the main university isolation hospital (whether admitted in the ward or the intensive care unit). Screening for OD was done using the Arabic version of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and the Yale swallow protocol. RESULTS: 45.4% of the admitted and 40.97% of the discharged COVID-19 patients had a positive screen for OD. Several risk factors for OD could be detected. These include older age, longer duration of presenting symptoms of COVID-19, presence of ageusia and anosmia, presence of dysphonia, ICU admission, lower oxygen saturation, higher respiratory rate, presence of OD at admission, longer duration of hospital stay, and use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). CONCLUSIONS: Screening for OD in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is a mandatory procedure, whether for admitted or discharged patients.

Efficacy of combined Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with pneumonia: a multicenter Egyptian study.

BACKGROUND: Limited experimental and clinical evidence suggests a potential role for sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in treating COVID19. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of generic sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in treating COVID-19 patients with pneumonia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This multicenter prospective study involved 174 patients with COVID-19. Patients were randomized into two groups. Group A (96 patients) received sofosbuvir (400 mg)/daclatasvir (60 mg) for 14 days in combination with conventional therapy. Group B (78 patients) received conventional therapy alone. Clinical, laboratory, and radiological data were collected at baseline, after 7, 14, and 28 days of therapy. Primary endpoint was rate of clinical/virological cure. RESULTS: A lower mortality rate was observed in group (A) (14% vs 21%, P = 0.07). After 1 month of therapy, no differences were found in rates of ICU admission, oxygen therapy, or ventilation. Additionally, a statistically significant shorter duration of hospital stay (9% vs 12%, P < 0.01) and a faster achievement of PCR negativity at day 14 (84% versus 47%, P < 0.01) were noticed in group (A). CONCLUSION: Adding sofosbuvir/daclatasvir to conventional therapy of COVID-19 is promising. Their use is associated with shorter hospital stay, faster PCR negativity and may be reduced mortality.

Effect of a combination of nitazoxanide, ribavirin, and ivermectin plus zinc supplement (MANS.NRIZ study) on the clearance of mild COVID-19.

This trial compared the rate and time of viral clearance in subjects receiving a combination of nitazoxanide, ribavirin, and ivermectin plus Zinc versus those receiving supportive treatment. This non-randomized controlled trial included 62 patients on the triple combination treatment versus 51 age- and sex-matched patients on routine supportive treatment. all of them confirmed cases by positive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction of a nasopharyngeal swab. Trial results showed that the clearance rates were 0% and 58.1% on the 7th day and 13.7% and 73.1% on the 15th day in the supportive treatment and combined antiviral groups, respectively. The cumulative clearance rates on the 15th day are 13.7% and 88.7% in the supportive treatment and combined antiviral groups, respectively. This trial concluded by stating that the combined use of nitazoxanide, ribavirin, and ivermectin plus zinc supplement effectively cleared the SARS-COV2 from the nasopharynx in a shorter time than symptomatic therapy.