Author Correction: The dual role of anti-viral therapy in the treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019.

Correction to: European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 2020; 24 (22): 11939-11944-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202011_23854-PMID: 33275267, published online 30 November, 2020. The authors state that "Figures 3 and 4 were used twice due to a careless mistake during the preparation of Figures". There are amendments to this paper.  The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/23854.

The dual role of anti-viral therapy in the treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019.

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a worldwide public health emergency; unfortunately, there is currently no treatment for improving outcomes or reducing viral-clearance times in infected patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of interferon (IFN) with or without lopinavir and ritonavir as antiviral therapeutic option for treating COVID-19 infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study enrolled 148 patients that received either standard care, treatment with IFN alfa-2b, or IFN alfa-2b combined with lopinavir plus ritonavir. Viral testing was performed using Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the viral-clearance time at 28 days after treatment between patients receiving standard care and those receiving anti-viral treatments. However, the average viral-clearance time of patients receiving standard care (14 days) was shorter than that for patients receiving IFN alfa-2b or IFN alfa-2b combined with lopinavir plus ritonavir (15.5 or 17.5 days) (p<0.05). Patients treated with IFN alfa-2b within five days or IFN alfa-2b combined with lopinavir plus ritonavir after three days of symptoms exhibited shorter viral-clearance times than the other groups (p<0.05). Moreover, viral-clearance times were significantly longer in patients receiving standard care or anti-viral treatment 5 days after symptoms appeared than those of patients who received these treatments within five days of symptom onset (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early symptomatic treatment is most critical for maximizing amelioration of COVID-19 infection. Anti-viral treatment might have complicated effect on viral-clearance.

[Application of systematic etiological analysis in final and differential diagnosis of hereditary hemolytic anemia].

OBJECTIVE: Study on the application of the systematic analysis strategies of etiology in final and differential diagnosis of hereditary hemolytic anemia (HHA). METHODS: Analysis of 1 506 patients with suspected hemolytic anemia (HA) in systematic hemolytic etiological analysis. RESULTS: ①1 413(94%) of the total 1 506 patients [male 799, female 707, median age 22-year-old (4 days to 86-year-old) ]were caused by membranopathy, hemoglobinopathy and enzymopathy, documented the three major causes of HHA. 369 cases (26%) of the 1 413 patients showed complex type of HA, which had the coexistence of two or more hereditary defects concerning HA in red cells, the other 1 044 cases (74%) were HA with single hemolytic cause. ②In 1 044 cases of single HA, hemoglobinopathy, membranopathy and enzymopathy was 22%, 63% and 15%, respectively. When single HA plused complex HA, the hemoglobinopathy, membranopathy and enzymopathy was 29%, 57% and 14% respectively. The difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). ③ The most common double heterozygosis with different genetic defects was hemoglobinopathy complicated with membranopathy (50%, 184/369). The complex HA was also found in patients with the enzymopathy complicated with membranopathy (18%, 66/369) and with hemoglobinopathy (4%, 13/369). Some of complex HA patients had the same kinds of genetic defects which means double hemoglobinopathies (29 cases, 8% ), membranopathies (57 cases, 15% ) and enzymopathies (9 cases, 2%). Other kinds (11 cases, 3%) of complex HA, anemia and jaundice were seen in HAA patients accompanied with acquired and secondary defects or other system abnormalities. CONCLUSION: The parallel etiologic examination of three major genetic hemolytic diseases can be 94% of patients for classification. The results showed that the first cause of HAA was membranopathy, second hemoglobinopathy and then enzymopathy. Complex hemolysis is not uncommon and single factor analysis alone is not enough to provide scientific basis for diagnosis.