Introduction: The therapeutic impact of molnupiravir in the Omicron variant phase is unknown. The goal of the current meta-analysis was to compare the real-world clinical outcomes of molnupiravir for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 during the dominance of the Omicron variant in adult patients to that of a placebo. Methods: To be included, studies had to directly compare the clinical effectiveness of molnupiravir in treating adult COVID-19 patients to that of a placebo. Studies were included based on the following outcomes: all-cause mortality, composite outcome of disease progression, hospitalization rate, and viral load. Results: The current meta-analysis included six studies that indicated that the risk of mortality was reduced by 34%, and the risk of composite outcome of disease progression was reduced by 37% among patients who received molnupiravir. Molnupiravir was associated with faster reduction in viral loads than the placebo. There was no clinical benefit of reducing all-cause mortality in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients with high COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Conclusion: The clinical effectiveness of molnupiravir was associated with COVID-19 vaccination coverage in COVID-19 patients. There is a lack of detailed data on its effectiveness in vaccinated patients, especially those with low COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
Background and Objectives: The therapeutic impact of remdesivir on hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients is unknown. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the mortality outcomes of hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients receiving remdesivir therapy to those of patients receiving a placebo based on their oxygen requirements. Materials and Methods: The clinical status of the patients was assessed at the start of treatment using an ordinal scale. Studies comparing the mortality rate of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir vs. those treated with a placebo were included. Results: Nine studies were included and showed that the risk of mortality was reduced by 17% in patients treated with remdesivir. Hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients who did not require supplemental oxygen or who required low-flow oxygen and were treated with remdesivir had a lower mortality risk. In contrast, hospitalized adult patients who required high-flow supplemental oxygen or invasive mechanical ventilation did not have a therapeutic benefit in terms of mortality. Conclusions: The clinical benefit of mortality reduction in hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir was associated with no need for supplemental oxygen or requiring supplemental low-flow oxygen at the start of treatment, especially in those requiring supplemental low-flow oxygen.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.