RETHINKING: IS FAVIPIRAVIR EFFECTIVE FOR ACHIEVING FASTER TIME TO VIRAL CLEARANCE IN MODERATE HOSPITALIZED COVID-19 PATIENTS?

Abstract

Background and Aim:

Despite favipiravir being a recommended antiviral for patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19, there is still debate about whether it can be used for patients with moderate severity. Therefore, the current review was aimed to determine the efficacy of favipiravir in achieving viral clearance compared to standard care in hospitalized moderate COVID-19 patients.

Methods:

We conducted a literature search in studies investigating the efficacy of favipiravir vs. standard care in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 in the time to achieve viral clearance. Eligible studies were included and appraised in their validity, importance, and applicability. Furthermore, included studies were ranked according to their level of evidence (LOE)

Results:

Five studies were included and assessed further. All studies showed the superiority of favipiravir administration which has successfully lowered the time to viral clearance up to 95% compared to standard care and achieved a higher viral clearance rate at a certain period (day five and day 10). However, some studies have shown insignificant results. Despite that, further studies are still needed to confirm these findings.

Conclusion:

In moderate hospitalized COVID-19 patients, favipiravir can potentially accelerate viral clearance rate or time to viral clearance by up to 95% compared to standard of care. Favipiravir can be an option with fewer side effects than other available antivirals and can be suggested for COVID-19 patients with moderate symptoms.