tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Infect Dis
. 2022 Nov 4;ciac807.
doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac807. Online ahead of print.
Twice-Daily Oral Zinc in the Treatment of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial
Saoussen Ben Abdallah[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yosra Mhalla[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Imen Trabelsi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Adel Sekma[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Rim Youssef[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Khaoula Bel Haj Ali[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Houda Ben Soltane[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Hajer Yacoubi[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Mohamed Amine Msolli[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Nejla Stambouli[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Kaouthar Beltaief[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Mohamed Habib Grissa[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Meriem Khrouf[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Zied Mezgar[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Chawki Loussaief[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Wahid Bouida[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Rabie Razgallah[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Karima Hezbri[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Asma Belguith[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Naouel Belkacem[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Zohra Dridi[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Hamdi Boubaker[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Riadh Boukef[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Semir Nouira[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Zinc supplementation has been considered a potential therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to examine zinc efficacy in adult patients with COVID-19 infection.
Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial. Patients who were tested positive for COVID-19 without end-organ failure were randomized to oral zinc (n = 231) or matching placebo (n = 239) for 15 days. The primary combined outcome was death due to COVID-19 or intensive care unit (ICU) admission ≤30 days after randomization. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay for inpatients and duration of COVID-19 symptoms with COVID-19-related hospitalization for outpatients.
Results: 190 patients (40.4%) were ambulatory and 280 patients (59.6%) were hospitalized. Mortality at 30 days was 6.5% in the zinc group and 9.2% in the placebo group (OR: .68; 95% CI .34-1.35); ICU admission rates were, respectively, 5.2% and 11.3% (OR: .43; 95% CI .21-.87). Combined outcome was lower in the zinc group versus the placebo group (OR: .58; 95% CI .33-.99). Consistent results were observed in prespecified subgroups of patients aged <65 years, those with comorbidity, and those who needed oxygen therapy at baseline. Length of hospital stay was shorter in the zinc group versus the placebo group (difference: 3.5 days; 95% CI 2.76-4.23) in the inpatient group; duration of COVID-19 symptoms decreased with zinc treatment versus placebo in outpatients (difference: 1.9 days; 95% CI .62-2.6). No severe adverse events were observed during the study.
Conclusions: Our results showed that, in COVID-19 patients, oral zinc can decrease 30-day death, ICU admission rate and can shorten symptom duration. Clinical Trials Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05212480.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; outcome; zinc.
. 2022 Nov 4;ciac807.
doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac807. Online ahead of print.
Twice-Daily Oral Zinc in the Treatment of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial
Saoussen Ben Abdallah[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yosra Mhalla[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Imen Trabelsi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Adel Sekma[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Rim Youssef[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Khaoula Bel Haj Ali[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Houda Ben Soltane[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Hajer Yacoubi[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Mohamed Amine Msolli[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Nejla Stambouli[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Kaouthar Beltaief[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Mohamed Habib Grissa[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Meriem Khrouf[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Zied Mezgar[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Chawki Loussaief[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Wahid Bouida[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Rabie Razgallah[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Karima Hezbri[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Asma Belguith[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Naouel Belkacem[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Zohra Dridi[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Hamdi Boubaker[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Riadh Boukef[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Semir Nouira[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36367144
- DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac807
Abstract
Background: Zinc supplementation has been considered a potential therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to examine zinc efficacy in adult patients with COVID-19 infection.
Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial. Patients who were tested positive for COVID-19 without end-organ failure were randomized to oral zinc (n = 231) or matching placebo (n = 239) for 15 days. The primary combined outcome was death due to COVID-19 or intensive care unit (ICU) admission ≤30 days after randomization. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay for inpatients and duration of COVID-19 symptoms with COVID-19-related hospitalization for outpatients.
Results: 190 patients (40.4%) were ambulatory and 280 patients (59.6%) were hospitalized. Mortality at 30 days was 6.5% in the zinc group and 9.2% in the placebo group (OR: .68; 95% CI .34-1.35); ICU admission rates were, respectively, 5.2% and 11.3% (OR: .43; 95% CI .21-.87). Combined outcome was lower in the zinc group versus the placebo group (OR: .58; 95% CI .33-.99). Consistent results were observed in prespecified subgroups of patients aged <65 years, those with comorbidity, and those who needed oxygen therapy at baseline. Length of hospital stay was shorter in the zinc group versus the placebo group (difference: 3.5 days; 95% CI 2.76-4.23) in the inpatient group; duration of COVID-19 symptoms decreased with zinc treatment versus placebo in outpatients (difference: 1.9 days; 95% CI .62-2.6). No severe adverse events were observed during the study.
Conclusions: Our results showed that, in COVID-19 patients, oral zinc can decrease 30-day death, ICU admission rate and can shorten symptom duration. Clinical Trials Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05212480.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; outcome; zinc.