Is Antiviral Treatment with Remdesivir at the Acute Phase of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Effective for Decreasing the Risk of Long-Lasting Post-COVID Symptoms?

• Published in: Viruses 2024-06, Vol.16 (6), p.947
• Main Authors: Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César, Franco-Moreno, Anabel, Ruiz-Ruigómez, María, Arrieta-Ortubay, Estibaliz, Ryan-Murua, Pablo, Lumbreras-Bermejo, Carlos, Del-Valle-Loarte, Pablo, Pellicer-Valero, Oscar J, Giordano, Rocco, Arendt-Nielsen, Lars, Martín-Garrido, Isabel, Torres-Macho, Juan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine Monophosphate - administration & dosage; Adenosine Monophosphate - analogs & derivatives; Adenosine Monophosphate - therapeutic use; Adult; Age; Aged; Alanine - administration & dosage; Alanine - analogs & derivatives; Alanine - therapeutic use; antiviral; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Antiviral drugs; Anxiety; Body mass index; Case-Control Studies; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; COVID-19 vaccines; Dyspnea; Female; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Immunization; Infections; Intravenous administration; long-COVID; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; post-COVID-19; remdesivir; Respiration; SARS-CoV-2 - drug effects; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Sleep; Vaccination
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v16060947

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of administrating Remdesivir at the acute COVID-19 phase on developing post-COVID symptoms in previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors by controlling factors such as age, sex, body mass index, and vaccination status. A case-control study was performed. Hospitalized COVID-19 survivors who had received intravenous Remdesivir during the acute phase (n = 216) were matched by age, sex, body mass index, and vaccination status with survivors who did not receive antiviral treatment (n = 216). Participants were asked to self-report the presence of any post-COVID symptom (defined as a symptom that started no later than three months after infection) and whether the symptom persisted at the time of study (mean: 18.4, SD: 0.8 months). Anxiety levels (HADS-A), depressive symptoms (HADS-D), sleep quality (PSQI), and severity/disability (FIC) were also compared. The multivariate analysis revealed that administration of Remdesivir at the acute COVID-19 phase was a protective factor for long-term COVID development (OR0.401, 95%CI 0.256-0.628) and specifically for the following post-COVID symptoms: fatigue (OR0.399, 95%CI 0.270-0.590), pain (OR0.368, 95% CI 0.248-0.548), dyspnea at rest (OR0.580, 95%CI 0.361-0.933), concentration loss (OR0.368, 95%CI 0.151-0.901), memory loss (OR0.399, 95%CI 0.270-0.590), hair loss (OR0.103, 95%CI 0.052-0.207), and skin rashes (OR0.037, 95%CI 0.005-0.278). This study supports the potential protective role of intravenous administration of Remdesivir during the COVID-19 acute phase for long-lasting post-COVID symptoms in previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors.