Clinical outcomes of using remdesivir in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19: A prospective randomised study

Background and aims: When the world was frantically searching for a drug effective against the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19, remdesivir, a broad-spectrum anti-viral medication, became a part of the COVID treatment. We planned a study to evaluate improvement in clinical outcomes with remdesivir treatment for five days.

Methods: Participants more than 40-years old and with moderate to severe COVID-19 but not on mechanical ventilation were randomly assigned into two groups-remdesivir group (34 cases) to receive the study drug intravenous (IV) remdesivir for five days plus the standard care (SC) and non-remdesivir group (36 cases) to receive the SC but not to receive the study drug. Follow-up was continued for 12 days after the beginning of treatment or until discharge/death. Patient's clinical status was assessed by laboratory investigations and physical examination (from day 1 to day 12 on a 4-point ordinal scale and from day 12 to 24 on a 6-point ordinal scale). Oxygen support requirements and adverse events were recorded. The data were entered and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0.

Results: High-flow oxygen support and non-invasive ventilation was required at baseline by lesser patients in the remdesivir group. In the end, both groups had similar outcomes after adjustment for baseline clinical status. There was no statistical difference in mortality between the two groups (p = 0.749). Patients in both groups had an equal time to recovery. There was no difference in the occurrence of adverse effects of remdesivir between the two groups.

Conclusion: Remdesivir therapy for five days did not produce improvement in clinical outcomes in moderate to severe COVID-19 cases.