Antibiotics (Aug 2021)

Sars-Cov-2 Infection in Patients on Long-Term Treatment with Macrolides in Spain: A National Cross-Sectional Study

  • Carmen Marina Meseguer Barros,
  • Natalia Alzueta Isturiz,
  • Rita Sainz de Rozas Aparicio,
  • Rafael Aguilella Vizcaíno,
  • Laura López Esteban,
  • Sonia Anaya Ordóñez,
  • Itxasne Lekue Alkorta,
  • Salvadora Martín Suances,
  • Jorge Ignacio Jiménez Arce,
  • Maite Fernández Vicente,
  • Yolanda Borrego Izquierdo,
  • Raquel Prieto Sánchez,
  • Silvia Casado Casuso,
  • Rosa Madridejos,
  • Carmen Marquina Verde,
  • Rosa Tomás Sanz,
  • María Oro Fernández,
  • Sara Gallardo Borge,
  • Eva Lázaro López,
  • María Belén Pina Gadea,
  • Mercedes Pereira Pía,
  • María Victoria Maestre-Sánchez,
  • Esther Ribes-Murillo,
  • Constanza Gómez de Oña,
  • Álvarez María Jesús Lallana,
  • Concepción Celaya Lecea,
  • María Ana Prado Prieto,
  • Aranzazu Aranguez Ruiz,
  • Vicente Olmo Quintana,
  • Noemí Villén Romero,
  • Carolina Payá Giner,
  • Angeles Lloret Callejo,
  • Alvaro Fernández Ferreiro,
  • Blanca Basagoiti Carreño,
  • Ana Aurelia Iglesias Iglesias,
  • Antonio Martín Alonso,
  • Ana Díez Alcántara,
  • Esther Marco Tejón,
  • Marta Lestón Vázquez,
  • Mª Ángeles Ariza Copado,
  • Marta Aparicio Cueva,
  • Belén Escudero Vilaplana,
  • Marisa Nicieza,
  • Gracia Picazo Sanchiz,
  • Genma María Silva Riádigos,
  • Lucía Jamart Sánchez,
  • Ángel García Álvarez,
  • Antonio García Bonilla,
  • Rafael Herrero Delicado,
  • Virginia Arroyo Pineda,
  • Belén de la Hija,
  • Amelia Troncoso Mariño,
  • Isabel Tofiño González,
  • Mónica Susana Mateu García,
  • Pablo García Vázquez,
  • Joaquín Pérez Martín,
  • Rocío Fernández-Urrusuno

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10091039
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 9
p. 1039

Abstract

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The aim of this study was to know the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 in patients treated with long-term macrolides and to describe the factors associated with worse outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Primary Care setting. Patients with macrolides dispensed continuously from 1 October 2019 to 31 March 2020, were considered. Main outcome: diagnosis of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Secondary outcomes: symptoms, severity, characteristics of patients, comorbidities, concomitant treatments. A total of 3057 patients met the inclusion criteria. Median age: 73 (64–81) years; 55% were men; 62% smokers/ex-smokers; 56% obese/overweight. Overall, 95% of patients had chronic respiratory diseases and four comorbidities as a median. Prevalence of COVID-19: 4.8%. This was in accordance with official data during the first wave of the pandemic. The most common symptoms were respiratory: shortness of breath, cough, and pneumonia. Additionally, 53% percent of patients had mild/moderate symptoms, 28% required hospital admission, and 19% died with COVID-19. The percentage of patients hospitalized and deaths were 2.6 and 5.8 times higher, respectively, in the COVID-19 group (p < 0.001). There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of long-term courses of macrolides in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection or the progression to worse outcomes in old patients with underlying chronic respiratory diseases and a high burden of comorbidity.

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