tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
JMIR Public Health Surveill
. 2020 Nov 16.
doi: 10.2196/22521. Online ahead of print.
Typical COVID-19 symptoms are inversely associated with statin medication: cross-sectional digital study in Lower Saxony, Germany Results of the first German Symptom Surveillance Study for COVID-19
Dietmar Urbach[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Friedemann Awiszus[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sven Lei?[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Tamsin Venton[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Alexander Vincent De Specht[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Christian Apfelbacher[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the globe, the world continues in its search for a medication to cure, or attenuate, the symptoms of COVID-19. It would be desirable, and fortuitous, to identify such a medication that is already in use for another condition, and whose side effect profile and safety data are already known and approved.
Objective: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the influence of medication on typical COVID-19 symptoms, using data from an online surveillance survey in Germany.
Methods: Between early April and late July 2020, 3990 people in Lower Saxony, Germany, participated in an online symptom tracker application, '"covid-nein-danke.de". The questionnaire contained items on typical COVID-19 symptoms, age range, gender, work in patient-facing healthcare, community life, postal code, previous illnesses, permanent medication, vaccination status, and results of PCR and antibody testing for COVID-19, and COVID-19 treatment if performed.
Results: Analysis of the data demonstrated a statistically significant inverse relationship between self-reported typical COVID-19 symptoms and self-reported statin therapy and, to a lesser extent, antihypertensive therapy. Defining COVID-19 by restrictive symptom criteria (4 out of 7 symptoms) or a positive PCR-test the association was found solely for statins with a statistically significance (OR 0.28 (0.1 - 0.78)).
Conclusions: People taking statin medication may be more likely to have an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, in which case they may be at an increased risk of transmitting it unknowingly. The results of this study should be incorporated into 'symptoms-based' surveillance and decision-making protocols in respect to COVID-19. Whether statin therapy has a beneficial effect in combating COVID-19 cannot be deduced from the data and should be investigated by further study.
Clinicaltrial: German Clinical Trial Register No. DRKS000022185, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform U1111-1252-6946.
. 2020 Nov 16.
doi: 10.2196/22521. Online ahead of print.
Typical COVID-19 symptoms are inversely associated with statin medication: cross-sectional digital study in Lower Saxony, Germany Results of the first German Symptom Surveillance Study for COVID-19
Dietmar Urbach[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Friedemann Awiszus[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sven Lei?[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Tamsin Venton[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Alexander Vincent De Specht[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Christian Apfelbacher[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33197879
- DOI: 10.2196/22521
Abstract
Background: As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the globe, the world continues in its search for a medication to cure, or attenuate, the symptoms of COVID-19. It would be desirable, and fortuitous, to identify such a medication that is already in use for another condition, and whose side effect profile and safety data are already known and approved.
Objective: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the influence of medication on typical COVID-19 symptoms, using data from an online surveillance survey in Germany.
Methods: Between early April and late July 2020, 3990 people in Lower Saxony, Germany, participated in an online symptom tracker application, '"covid-nein-danke.de". The questionnaire contained items on typical COVID-19 symptoms, age range, gender, work in patient-facing healthcare, community life, postal code, previous illnesses, permanent medication, vaccination status, and results of PCR and antibody testing for COVID-19, and COVID-19 treatment if performed.
Results: Analysis of the data demonstrated a statistically significant inverse relationship between self-reported typical COVID-19 symptoms and self-reported statin therapy and, to a lesser extent, antihypertensive therapy. Defining COVID-19 by restrictive symptom criteria (4 out of 7 symptoms) or a positive PCR-test the association was found solely for statins with a statistically significance (OR 0.28 (0.1 - 0.78)).
Conclusions: People taking statin medication may be more likely to have an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, in which case they may be at an increased risk of transmitting it unknowingly. The results of this study should be incorporated into 'symptoms-based' surveillance and decision-making protocols in respect to COVID-19. Whether statin therapy has a beneficial effect in combating COVID-19 cannot be deduced from the data and should be investigated by further study.
Clinicaltrial: German Clinical Trial Register No. DRKS000022185, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform U1111-1252-6946.