During the study period, 703 COVID-19 patients who had symptom onset within 7 days and had at least one risk factor for severe disease were evaluated at our hospital (Fig. 1). Among them, 86 patients treated with other antiviral agents, 121 patients with eGFR < 30 mL/min and 209 patients with severe disease requiring supplemental oxygen or ICU care at diagnosis were excluded. One patient who discontinued remdesivir because of side effects was also excluded. Therefore, 286 patients were enrolled in this study. Of these, 88 patients received early remdesivir (early remdesivir group), and 198 patients did not receive remdesivir (control group).
Figure 1. Flowdiagram of early Remdesivir group vs Control group in COVID-19 patients
Baseline characteristics and outcomes of the study population are summarized in Table 1. The mean age of the study population was 74.7 years, and females accounted for 45.1%. The mean BMI was 22.7 Kg/m2. The most common underlying conditions were hypertension (57.3%), cerebrovascular disease (32.9%), diabetes mellitus (31.8%), and malignancies (25.9%). More than three COVID-19 vaccinations were received by 75.2% of patients COVID. There was no statistically significant difference between the early remdesivir and control groups in baseline characteristics, except for cerebrovascular disease. Cerebrovascular disease was 47.7% in the early remdesivir group and 26.3% in the control group (P < 0.001).
Table 1
Baseline characteristics and outcomes of the study population
Characteristics | Total (N = 286) | Early Remdesivir (N = 88) | Control (N = 198) | P value |
Age (years), mean (SD) | 74.7 (11.8) | 75.2 (13.5) | 74.5 (10.9) | 0.697 |
Female, n (%) | 129 (45.1) | 35 (39.8) | 94 (47.5) | 0.227 |
BMI (Kg/m2), mean (SD) | 22.7 (4.2) | 22.1 (3.9) | 22.9 (4.3) | 0.110 |
Underlying comorbidities | | | | |
Hypertension, n (%) | 164 (57.3) | 49 (55.7) | 115 (58.1) | 0.705 |
Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 91 (31.8) | 25 (28.4) | 66 (33.3) | 0.409 |
Cerebrovascular disease, n (%) | 94 (32.9) | 42 (47.7) | 52 (26.3) | < 0.001 |
Cardiovascular disease, n (%) | 49 (17.1) | 14 (15.9) | 35 (17.7) | 0.714 |
Chronic lung disease, n (%) | 32 (11.2) | 9 (10.2) | 23 (11.6) | 0.731 |
Chronic liver disease, n (%) | 21 (7.3) | 8 (9.1) | 13 (6.6) | 0.450 |
Malignancy, n (%) | 74 (25.9) | 27 (30.7) | 47 (23.7) | 0.216 |
Vaccination over 3 doses, n (%) | 212/282 (75.2) | 57/85 (67.1) | 155/197 (78.7) | 0.038 |
RT-PCR ct value, mean (SD) | 20.3 (6.9) | 20.0 (6.8) | 20.3 (6.9) | 0.687 |
Clinical outcomes | | | | |
All-cause mortality, n (%) | 15 (5.2) | 3 (3.4) | 12 (6.1) | 0.566 |
Oxygen supply, n (%) | 43 (15.0) | 14 (15.9) | 29 (14.6) | 0.783 |
BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; SD, standard deviation
The clinical outcomes, including all-cause mortality and the need for oxygen supplementation within 28 days, were not significantly different between the two groups (Table 1). All-cause mortality was 3.4% in the early remdesivir group and 6.1% in the control group (P = 0.556). The number of patients requiring oxygen in the early remdesivir and control groups was 15.9% and 14.6% (P = 0.783), respectively.
Cox regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with all-cause mortality (Table 2). In the univariate analysis, age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.055; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.002, 1.110; P = 0.042), BMI (HR, 0.836; 95% CI, 0.722, 0.969; P = 0.017), malignancy (HR, 3.410; 95% CI, 1.236, 9.403; P = 0.018) were significantly associated with all-cause mortality. Based on the multivariate analysis, age (HR, 1.061; 95% CI: 1.002, 1.124; P = 0.043), BMI (HR, 0.849; 95% CI: 0.725, 0.994; P = 0.041), malignancy (HR, 4.619; 95% CI: 1.618, 13.189; P = 0.004) were independent factors associated with all-cause mortality. Early remdesivir use was not significantly associated with all-cause mortality in univariate and multivariate analyses.
Table 2
Cox regression analysis for all-cause mortality
Variable | Univariate analysis | Multivariate analysis |
HR (95% CI) | P value | HR (95% CI) | P value |
Age (years) | 1.055 (1.002–1.110) | 0.042 | 1.061 (1.002–1.124) | 0.043 |
Female | 0.296 (0.084–1.051) | 0.060 | | |
BMI (Kg/m2) | 0.836 (0.722–0.969) | 0.017 | 0.849 (0.725–0.994) | 0.041 |
Underlying comorbidities | | | | |
Hypertension | 0.647 (0.235–1.785) | 0.400 | | |
Diabetes mellitus | 0.325 (0.073–1.438) | 0.139 | | |
Cerebrovascular disease | 0.142 (0.019–1.081) | 0.059 | | |
Cardiovascular disease | 2.516 (0.860–7.362) | 0.092 | | |
Chronic lung disease | 2.057 (0.580–7.288) | 0.264 | | |
Chronic liver disease | 0.892 (0.117–6.785) | 0.912 | | |
Malignancy | 3.410 (1.236–9.403) | 0.018 | 4.619 (1.618–13.189) | 0.004 |
Vaccination over 3 doses | 0.368 (0.133–1.014) | 0.053 | | |
RT-PCR ct value | 1.034 (0.959–1.114) | 0.384 | | |
Early remdesivir | 0.558 (0.157–1.978) | 0.366 | 0.393 (0.109–1.417) | 0.154 |
BMI, body mass index; Ct, cycle threshold; CI, confidence interval; HR, hazard ratio; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; SD, standard deviation
Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for oxygen supply (Table 3). In the univariate analysis, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.037; 95% CI: 1.005, 1.069; P = 0.025), BMI (OR, 0.881; 95% CI: 0.804, 0.965; P = 0.007), vaccination over three doses (OR, 0.417; 95% CI, 0.210, 0.829; P = 0.013) were significantly associated with the need for oxygen supplementation. In the multivariate analysis, BMI (OR, 0.908; 95% CI, 0.824, 1.000; P = 0.049), vaccination over three doses (OR, 0.412; 95% CI, 0.202, 0.839; P = 0.015) were significant risk factors for oxygen supply. Early remdesivir use was not significantly associated with the need for oxygen supplementation in univariate and multivariate analyses.
Table 3
Logistic regression for oxygen supply
Variable | Univariate analysis | Multivariate analysis |
OR (95% CI) | P value | OR (95% CI) | P value |
Age (years) | 1.037 (1.005–1.069) | 0.025 | 1.027 (0.994–1.061) | 0.109 |
Female | 0.606 (0.308–1.192) | 0.147 | | |
BMI (Kg/m2) | 0.881 (0.804–0.965) | 0.007 | 0.908 (0.824–1.000) | 0.049 |
Underlying comorbidities | | | | |
Hypertension | 0.832 (0.434–1.595) | 0.580 | | |
Diabetes mellitus | 1.327 (0.675–2.609) | 0.411 | | |
Cerebrovascular disease | 0.867 (0.429–1.751) | 0.690 | | |
Cardiovascular disease | 1.854 (0.861–3.995) | 0.115 | | |
Chronic lung disease | 1.353 (0.522–3.513) | 0.534 | | |
Chronic liver disease | 0.575 (0.129–2.563) | 0.468 | | |
Malignancy | 1.293 (0.634–2.636) | 0.480 | | |
Vaccination over 3 doses | 0.417 (0.210–0.829) | 0.013 | 0.412 (0.202–0.839) | 0.015 |
RT-PCR ct value | 1.047 (0.991–1.106) | 0.101 | | |
Early remdesivir | 1.103 (0.551–2.207) | 0.783 | 0.823 (0.389–1.740) | 0.610 |
BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; Ct, cycle threshold; SD, standard deviation