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Oseltamivir treatment was associated with a decreased rate of mortality and a shorter length of hospitalization among patients with COVID-19 infection, according to findings published in the Annals of Medicine and Surgery.
This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single center between February and April 2020 and included 285 hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Patients were assigned to 2 treatment groups on the basis of hospital admission date. Patients in group 1 (n=120) received oseltamivir plus standard care and those in group 2 (n=165; controls) received standard care with azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine. The primary endpoints were length of hospitalization, need for intensive care unit admission (ICU) and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and mortality. The follow-up period was 2 weeks, and patients who died within 24 hours of hospital admission were excluded from the analysis.
Among patients included in the analysis, the mean age was 53.80 years, 58.9% were men, and disease severity was increased among those in the oseltamivir group (P =.01).
The researchers found that both the length of hospitalization was significantly decreased among patients in the oseltamivir group vs those in the control group (4.9 vs 6.6 days; P <.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustment for disease severity showed that the rate of mortality also was significantly decreased among patients who received oseltamivir vs those in the control group (1.7% vs 6.7%; adjusted odds ratio, 5.29; 95% CI, 1.11-25.02; P = .03).
Both univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that the rates of ICU admission (6.7% vs 11.5%) and IMV (2.5% vs 4.8%) were decreased among patients in the oseltamivir group vs those in the control group. However, the difference between the 2 groups was not statistically significant.
This study was limited by its retrospective design, small sample size, and the lack of patient data.
According to the researchers, “more prospective studies are required to clarify the clinical benefits of oseltamivir in combination therapy and compare oseltamivir with other antiviral drugs…for the treatment of COVID-19.”
Reference
Zendehdel A, Bidkhori M, Ansari M, Jamalimoghaddamsiyahkali S, Asoodeh A. Efficacy of oseltamivir in the treatment of patients infected with Covid-19. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022;77:103679. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103679
