ABSTRACT
Introduction: Since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, scientists have studied many drugs to treat it, but none of them have been approved as a complete cure. Favipiravir is one of those drugs that effectively clears the body from the virus by interfering with the process of replication. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of favipiravir compared with supportive medication to treat moderate COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: In this randomized, open-label, controlled clinical trial, we examined the efficacy of favipiravir to treat moderate COVID-19 patients. The study was conducted in Labbafinejad Hospital (Tehran, Iran) from April to September 2021. A 1:1 ratio of eligible patients were assigned to the intervention and control groups. The control group received supportive medication. In addition to supportive medication, the intervention group received favipiravir. The primary endpoint was the hospitalization rate during the seven-day follow-up. And the secondary endpoints were symptoms, signs, and laboratory tests of the patients. Results: Out of 78 patients who were included in the study, 40 patients were assigned to the control group and 38 patients were assigned to the intervention group. At the beginning of treatment, the respiratory rate was higher in the intervention group (p=0.001), however, on the fifth (p=0.001) and seventh (p<0.001) days, it was significantly lower in the intervention group. In addition, oxygen saturation at the beginning of treatment was lower in the intervention group (p<0.001);however, on the fifth (p=0.016) and seventh (p<0.001) days, it was significantly higher in the intervention group. Furthermore, the consumption of favipiravir was not associated with the hospitalization rate (p=0.200). Conclusion: Favipiravir enhances respiratory manifestations in patients with moderate COVID-19 when compared to supportive medication alone.
ABSTRACT
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread widely all around the world and has infected too many healthcare workers (HCWs) as the pioneers combating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to evaluate the symptoms and outcome of medical staff from a tertiary hospital in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: The diagnoses of 29 HCWs presenting COVID-19 symptoms were confirmed by molecular and imaging studies. Epidemiologic and disease-related data were collected via phone calls and filling a questionnaire and then analyzed descriptively. Results: Eighteen (62.1%) of the affected HCWs were males. The mean age of them was 41.86 years with a lower average (38.27) for females than males. Nurses comprised 41.4% of our population. Only 2 (6.9%) patients were admitted to the respiratory care unit (RCU) (), marked as critical patients. The most presented symptoms were fever (79.3%) and dyspnea (79.3%). Overall, 55.2% of them had a longer exposure time (more than a week), which was more frequent in men than women. Conclusion: Fever was the most prevalent symptom among the study group. Even though the clinical features of COVID-19 among HCWs cannot be copiously determined by this study, it highlights the requirement for comparative studies to illustrate differences among HCWs and the general population. There might be an association between the duration of the exposure and the risk of the infection in men.
ABSTRACT
Backgrounds: Currently, clinical details of immunosuppressed patients suffering from COVID-19 are limited. Some studies have shown no more severe diseases among them, but others have highlighted that immunosuppressed patients may have high levels of viral load and impaired immune responses. Herein, this study aimed to specifically address the symptoms, prognosis, laboratory tests, clinical course, and the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infected immunocompromised patients at a tertiary referral center. Materials&Methods: Clinical and laboratory informationof 75non-congenital immunosuppressed patients with COVID-19 disease was obtained at a referral center for immunodeficiency diseases and infectious disorders in Tehran, Iran. Three groups of immunocompromised patients were evaluated, including patients with a history of organ transplantation, autoimmune patients receiving medical therapy, and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Findings: Among 75 immune-deficient patients with COVID-19, there were 32 patients with a kidney transplant, 23 patients with malignancies, and 19 patients with autoimmune disorders. One patient had both malignancy and multiple sclerosis. The mean length of hospitalization was 10.82 days. By the end of the study, 24 (32%) patients were dead, and 51 (68%) patients were discharged. Dyspnea was the most common (64%) symptom. Low levels of O2 saturation and lymphopenia at admission time significantly affected the mortality rate of patients. Conclusion: This study showed that mortality rate among immunocompromised patients was 32%. It seems that COVID-19 has a worse outcome and a more severe clinical course in immunocompromised patients regardless of age, gender, and underlying diseases. © 2021, TMU Press.