Ribavirin Plus Therapy in Covid-19-A Single-Center Experience

Abstract

COVID-19 infection has a similar clinical spectrum of disease presentation such as SARS and MERS in the past. These led to the assumption of the possibility to treat COVID-19 infection with antivirals which had been used to treat SARS and MERS. A retrospective analysis was done in symptomatic adult patients of COVID-19 infection to explore whether ribavirin antiviral combinations reduce the need for both Noninvasive and Invasive Ventilation (NIV/IV) in the treatment of COVID-19 infections. Cohort A consisted of 40 patients who received the standard therapy and Cohort B of 61 patients who received the ribavirin plus therapy (Ribavirin with Hydroxychloroquine or Lopinavir/Ritonavir). Cohort A required NIV and IV each in 12.5% of patients while Cohort B required the same in 18.03 and 16.39% of patients respectively (p = 0.456). There was a similar trend of reduction of organ dysfunctions with time in cohort A compared to B. The study concluded there was no statistically significant reduction in the need for ventilation (non-invasive/invasive) and the development of multi-organ dysfunction in COVID-19 patients treated with ribavirin plus therapy, rather clinically standard therapy was better in all aspects.