Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38694066›Full record

ArticleHeliyon2024

Favipiravir does not improve viral clearance in mild to moderate COVID-19 - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Muh Akbar Bahar, Ikhwan Yuda Kusuma, Ádám Visnyovszki, Mária Matuz, Ria Benkő, Tamás Ferenci, Bálint Gergely Szabó, Edit Hajdú, Zoltán Pető, Dezső Csupor

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Heliyon, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Muh Akbar BaharInstitute of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Ikhwan Yuda KusumaInstitute of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Ádám VisnyovszkiInternal Medicine Clinic, Infectiology Unit, Albert Szent Györgyi Medical Center, Szeged, Hungary.
Mária MatuzInstitute of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Ria BenkőInstitute of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Tamás FerenciPhysiological Controls Research Center, Óbuda University, Budapest, Hungary.
Bálint Gergely SzabóSouth Pest Central Hospital, National Institute of Haematology and Infectious Diseases, Budapest, Hungary.
Edit HajdúInternal Medicine Clinic, Infectiology Unit, Albert Szent Györgyi Medical Center, Szeged, Hungary.
Zoltán PetőEmergency Care Department, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical Center, Szeged, Hungary.
Dezső CsuporInstitute of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
University of Szeged · HUObuda University · HUSemmelweis University · HU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: Favipiravir has been used in the therapy of COVID-19, including patients with mild to moderate symptoms in certain countries. The aim of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate its efficacy and safety in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infections. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were systematically reviewed for articles reporting the results of randomized controlled trials published until January 6, 2023, resulting in the identification of 20 eligible studies. Results: There were no significant differences in viral clearance time (HR = 1.20, p = 0.09) compared to those without favipiravir therapy. However, in the subgroup analyses, favipiravir treatment significantly increased viral clearance by 59 % (HR = 1.59, p < 0.01) and 42 % (HR = 1.42, p < 0.01], I Conclusions: The use of favipiravir is questionable in the treatment of outpatients with COVID-19 with mild symptoms. Moderate beneficial effects in the case of patients with moderate symptoms and inpatients should be treated with care due to the limitations of the analysed trials.

Indexed as

COVID-19EfficacyFavipiravirMeta-analysisSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID38694066
PMCPMC11058284
OpenAlexW4394893288

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.