Early Onset Favipiravir Saves Lives

Abstract Background Favipiravir, an antiviral recommended for use in patients with tachypnea (respiratory rate 30 / min) in COVID-19 pneumonia, with SpO2 level below 90% in room air and with bilateral diffuse pneumonia on chest X-ray or tomography, or patients with treatment-resistant fever, is a new type of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitor. After the administration of Favipiravir, it contributed significantly to reducing mortality in patients with severe COVID-19 positive disease. We performed this study to determine the start time in Favipiravir's covid pneumonia. Material and Method: We evaluated the effect of a total of 5 days of oral treatment as a 2 × 1600 mg loading dose and a 2 × 600 mg maintenance dose of Favipiravir added to the standard COVID-19 treatment received by patients with laboratory-radiology-clinical findings who have advanced or severe COVID 19 pneumonia. Results 180 patients hospitalized at Tuzla State Hospital and given Favipiravir treatment between 20/3/2020 and 30/5/2020 were examined. As of hospitalization, 17 of 101 patients (17%) who were given Favipiravir treatment in ≤ 3 days died, 30 of 79 patients (38%) who were given Favipiravir treatment for in > 3 days died (p:0.002). 33 of 47 patients (70%) who died were > 65 years old. Only 5 of the 47 (11%) patients who died had no comorbid disease. 35 had two or more comorbid diseases. Conclusion Patients with radiological findings indicating that COVID-19 will be severe and laboratory findings at the time of the first 3 days should be initiated with an effective dose of Favipiravir treatment without waiting for the clinical worsening.