Comparing Outcomes of Two Antiviral Therapy Combinations among COVID-19 Patients.

Several therapeutic regimens for COVID-19 have been studied, such as combination antiviral therapies. We aimed to compare outcome of two types of combination therapies atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r) or lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) plus hydroxychloroquine among COVID-19 patients. 108 patients with moderate and severe forms of COVID-19 were divided into two groups (each group 54 patients). One group received ATV/r plus hydroxychloroquine, and the other group received hydroxychloroquine plus LPV/r. Then, both groups were evaluated and compared for clinical symptoms, recovery rates, and complications of treatment regimens. Our findings showed a significant increase in bilirubin in ATV/r-receiving group compared to LPV/r receivers. There was also a significant increase in arrhythmias in the LPV/r group compared to the ATV/r group during treatment. Other findings including length of hospital stay, outcome, and treatment complications were not statistically significant. There is no significant difference between protease inhibitor drugs including ATV/r and LPV/r in the treatment of COVID-19 regarding clinical outcomes. However, some side effects such as hyperbilirubinemia and arrhythmia were significantly different by application of atazanavir or lopinavir.

Frequency of Cardiovascular Complications and Its Association with Prognosis of COVID-19 Patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may lead to acute respiratory disease; cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and coagulation complications; and even death. One of the major complications is cardiovascular disorders, including arrhythmias, myocarditis, pericarditis, and acute coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of cardiovascular complications and to determine its association with the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. In a prospective analytic study, 137 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were enrolled. During hospitalization, an electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed every other day, and laboratory tests such as cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) were done 0, 6, and 12 hours after admission. These tests were repeated for patients with chest pain or ECG changes. Patients were categorized into three groups (improved, complicated, and expired patients) and assessed for the rate and type of arrhythmias, cardiac complications, lab tests, and outcomes of treatments. There was no significant relationship among the three groups related to primary arrhythmia and arrhythmias during treatment. The most common arrhythmia during hospitalization and after treatment was ST-T fragment changes. There was a significant age difference between the three groups (P = 0.001). There was a significant difference among the three groups for some underlying diseases, including diabetes mellitus (P = 0.003) and hyperlipidemia (P = 0.004). In our study, different types of arrhythmias had no association with patients' outcomes but age over 60 years, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia played an important role in the prognosis of COVID-19 cases.