Is Antiviral Treatment with Remdesivir at the Acute Phase of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Effective for Decreasing the Risk of Long-Lasting Post-COVID Symptoms?
César Fernández-de-las-Peñas,
Anabel Franco-Moreno,
María Ruiz-Ruigómez,
Estibaliz Arrieta-Ortubay,
Pablo Ryan-Murua,
Carlos Lumbreras-Bermejo,
Pablo del-Valle-Loarte,
Oscar J. Pellicer-Valero,
Rocco Giordano,
Lars Arendt-Nielsen,
Isabel Martín-Garrido,
Juan Torres-Macho
Affiliations
César Fernández-de-las-Peñas
Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28922 Madrid, Spain
Anabel Franco-Moreno
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor-Virgen de la Torre, 28031 Madrid, Spain
María Ruiz-Ruigómez
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
Estibaliz Arrieta-Ortubay
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
Pablo Ryan-Murua
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor-Virgen de la Torre, 28031 Madrid, Spain
Carlos Lumbreras-Bermejo
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
Pablo del-Valle-Loarte
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, 28911 Madrid, Spain
Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, DK 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Lars Arendt-Nielsen
Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, DK 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Isabel Martín-Garrido
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Virgen del Rocío, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
Juan Torres-Macho
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor-Virgen de la Torre, 28031 Madrid, Spain
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of administrating Remdesivir at the acute COVID-19 phase on developing post-COVID symptoms in previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors by controlling factors such as age, sex, body mass index, and vaccination status. A case-control study was performed. Hospitalized COVID-19 survivors who had received intravenous Remdesivir during the acute phase (n = 216) were matched by age, sex, body mass index, and vaccination status with survivors who did not receive antiviral treatment (n = 216). Participants were asked to self-report the presence of any post-COVID symptom (defined as a symptom that started no later than three months after infection) and whether the symptom persisted at the time of study (mean: 18.4, SD: 0.8 months). Anxiety levels (HADS-A), depressive symptoms (HADS-D), sleep quality (PSQI), and severity/disability (FIC) were also compared. The multivariate analysis revealed that administration of Remdesivir at the acute COVID-19 phase was a protective factor for long-term COVID development (OR0.401, 95%CI 0.256–0.628) and specifically for the following post-COVID symptoms: fatigue (OR0.399, 95%CI 0.270–0.590), pain (OR0.368, 95% CI 0.248–0.548), dyspnea at rest (OR0.580, 95%CI 0.361–0.933), concentration loss (OR0.368, 95%CI 0.151–0.901), memory loss (OR0.399, 95%CI 0.270–0.590), hair loss (OR0.103, 95%CI 0.052–0.207), and skin rashes (OR0.037, 95%CI 0.005–0.278). This study supports the potential protective role of intravenous administration of Remdesivir during the COVID-19 acute phase for long-lasting post-COVID symptoms in previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors.
