ABSTRACT
Background and objectives Although several repurposed antiviral drugs have been used for the treatment of COVID-19, only a few such as remdesivir and molnupiravir have shown promising effects. The objectives of our study were to investigate the association of repurposed antiviral drugs with COVID-19 morbidity. Methods Patients admitted to 26 different hospitals located in 16 different provinces between March 11–July 18, 2020, were enrolled. Case definition was based on WHO criteria. Patients were managed according to the guidelines by Scientific Board of Ministry of Health of Turkey. Primary outcomes were length of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) requirement, and intubation. Results We retrospectively evaluated 1,472 COVID-19 adult patients;57.1% were men (mean age = 51.9 ± 17.7years). A total of 210 (14.3%) had severe pneumonia, 115 (7.8%) were admitted to ICUs, and 69 (4.7%) were intubated during hospitalization. The median (interquartile range) of duration of hospitalization, including ICU admission, was 7 (5–12) days. Favipiravir (n = 328), lopinavir/ritonavir (n = 55), and oseltamivir (n = 761) were administered as antiviral agents, and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ, n = 1,382) and azithromycin (n = 738) were used for their immunomodulatory activity. Lopinavir/ritonavir (β [95% CI]: 4.71 [2.31–7.11];p = 0.001), favipiravir (β [95% CI]: 3.55 [2.56–4.55];p = 0.001) and HCQ (β [95% CI]: 0.84 [0.02–1.67];p = 0.046) were associated with increased risk of lengthy hospital stays. Furthermore, favipiravir was associated with increased risks of ICU admission (OR [95% CI]: 3.02 [1.70–5.35];p = 0.001) and invasive mechanical ventilation requirement (OR [95% CI]: 2.94 [1.28–6.75];p = 0.011). Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that antiviral drugs including lopinavir, ritonavir, and favipiravir were associated with negative clinical outcomes such as increased risks for lengthy hospital stay, ICU admission, and invasive mechanical ventilation requirement. Therefore, repurposing such agents without proven clinical evidence might not be the best approach for COVID-19 treatment.
ABSTRACT
Aim: We aimed to investigate the factors affecting mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: 120 cancer patients followed-up in Erciyes University Medical Oncology Department were included in the study. Patients with a diagnosed cancer over the age of 18 years and diagnosis of COVID-19 between April 1 and December 1 2020 were participated in the study. The relationship between clinical, demographic, laboratory values and 30-day mortality were evaluated using the Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Risk factors for mortality were identified by univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Results: 120 cancer patients were accepted in the study and 30 (25%) had died within 30 days after COVID-19 positivity. Hospitalization rate of cancer patients with COVID-19 was 67.5% and 23 (19.2%) of patients were admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). 34.6% of hospitalized patients and 95.7% of those admitted in the ICU died within 30 days. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, it was concluded that the presence of lymphopenia (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.54-13.6, p = 0.04), high neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.21-9.8, p = 0.02), dyspnea (OR 2.5 95% CI 0.32-11.2, p = 0.04), lung cancer diagnoses (OR 3.3 95% CI 1.54-9.7, p = 0.03), male gender (OR 2.17 95% CI 1.1-7.3, p = 0.03) ) were determined that increased 30-day mortality. Conclusion: High incidence of cancer and the risk of immunosuppression in these patients increased the importance of COVID-19. Cancer patients with COVID-19 need to be treated more carefully because they are vulnerable to infection and can be mortal. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Annals of Medical of Research is the property of Annals of Medical Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
It has been more than 3 months now since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Turkey. Globally, the number of confirmed cases and deaths reached 9,653,048 and 491,128 respectively, as reported by 216 countries by June 27, 2020. Turkey had 1,396 new cases, 194,511 total cases, and 5,065 deaths by the same date. From the first case until today, the Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS) has been very proactive in educating doctors, increasing public awareness, undertaking academic studies, and assisting with public health policies. In the present report, social, academic, and management perspectives of the pandemic are presented under appropriate subtitles. During this critical public health crisis, TTS has once again demonstrated its readiness and constructive stance by supporting public health, healthcare workers, and the environment. This review summarizes the perspective of TTS on each aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic and casts light on its contributions.