Antiviral drugs arbidol and interferon alpha-1b contribute to reducing the severity of COVID-19 patients: a retrospective cohort study

• Published in: Virology journal 2021-07, Vol.18 (1), p.142-11, Article 142
• Main Authors: Yin, Peng, Meng, Juan, Chen, Jincheng, Gao, Junxiao, Wang, Dongqi, Liu, Shuyan, Guo, Qinglong, Zhu, Muchun, Zhang, Gengwei, Liu, Yingxia, Li, Ye, Zhang, Guoliang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - administration & dosage; Antiviral drugs; Arbidol; Bacterial pneumonia; China; Cohort analysis; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Development and progression; Drug dosages; Drug therapy; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Indoles - administration & dosage; Interferon; Interferon alpha-1b; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Patient outcomes; Patients; Pneumonia; Regression analysis; Retrospective Studies; Ribavirin; Ritonavir; Severity of Illness Index; Severity rate; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1743-422X; 1743-422X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12985-021-01617-w

The 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. This 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. Of 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