Remdesivir and corticosteroids in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Sci Rep. 2023 Mar 18;13(1):4482. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-31544-5.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic infection caused by the newly discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Remdesivir (RDV) and corticosteroids are used mainly in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure. The main objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of remdesivir with and without corticosteroids in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. We conducted a prospective observational study, including adult patients consecutively hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 and acute respiratory failure. Patients were divided according to treatment strategy: RDV alone versus RDV with corticosteroids. The primary outcome was the time to recovery in both treatment groups. We included 374 COVID-19 adult patients, 184 were treated with RDV, and 190 were treated with RDV and corticosteroid. Patients in the RDV group had a shorter time to recovery in comparison with patients in the RDV plus corticosteroids group at 28 days after admission [11 vs. 16 days (95% confidence Interval 9.7-12.8; 14.9-17.1; p = .016)]. Patients treated with RDV alone had a shorter length of hospital stay. The use of corticosteroids as adjunctive therapy of RDV was not associated with improvement in mortality of COVID-19 patients.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Monophosphate / therapeutic use
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Alanine / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • COVID-19*
  • Humans
  • Respiratory Insufficiency* / chemically induced

Substances

  • remdesivir
  • Adenosine Monophosphate
  • Alanine
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Antiviral Agents