Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41662710›Full record

ReviewAnnals of internal medicine2026

Outpatient Treatment of Confirmed COVID-19: A Living, Rapid Review for the American College of Physicians (Version 3).

Isolde Sommer, Andreea Dobrescu, Arianna Gadinger, Amin Sharifan, Larisa Pinte, Martin Fangmeyer, Irma Klerings, Gerald Gartlehner

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Annals of internal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Isolde SommerCochrane Austria, Department for Evidence-based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education Krems (Danube University Krems), Krems, Austria (I.S., A.D., A.G., A.S., M.F., I.K.).ORCID 0000-0003-3592-1507
Andreea DobrescuCochrane Austria, Department for Evidence-based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education Krems (Danube University Krems), Krems, Austria (I.S., A.D., A.G., A.S., M.F., I.K.).ORCID 0000-0002-0427-3714
Arianna GadingerCochrane Austria, Department for Evidence-based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education Krems (Danube University Krems), Krems, Austria (I.S., A.D., A.G., A.S., M.F., I.K.).ORCID 0009-0003-6863-8297
Amin SharifanCochrane Austria, Department for Evidence-based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education Krems (Danube University Krems), Krems, Austria (I.S., A.D., A.G., A.S., M.F., I.K.).ORCID 0000-0003-0571-5964
Larisa PinteDepartment of Internal Medicine Clinical Hospital Colentina, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila," Bucharest, Romania (L.P.).ORCID 0000-0002-9548-9165
Martin FangmeyerCochrane Austria, Department for Evidence-based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education Krems (Danube University Krems), Krems, Austria (I.S., A.D., A.G., A.S., M.F., I.K.).ORCID 0000-0002-2514-9325
Irma KleringsCochrane Austria, Department for Evidence-based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education Krems (Danube University Krems), Krems, Austria (I.S., A.D., A.G., A.S., M.F., I.K.).ORCID 0000-0001-6644-9845
Gerald GartlehnerCochrane Austria, Department for Evidence-based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education Krems (Danube University Krems), Krems, Austria; and RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (G.G.).ORCID 0000-0001-5531-3678

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundClinicians and patients need updated information on antiviral treatments for COVID-19. PURPOSE: To provide a final update on the benefits and harms of COVID-19 antiviral treatments in adult outpatients. DATA SOURCES: Ovid/MEDLINE, Epistemonikos COVID-19 L·OVE platform, and iSearch COVID-19 portfolio (22 January 2025); Ovid/MEDLINE (24 September 2025). STUDY SELECTION: Two reviewers screened 20% of abstracts and full texts, then single screening. Randomized controlled trials were included for benefits and harms, and cohort studies were included for harms. DATA EXTRACTION: One reviewer extracted data and assessed risk of bias and certainty of evidence (CoE); a second reviewer verified. DATA SYNTHESIS: Seven studies from the Omicron period were included. 125 mg of ensitrelvir may not reduce time to recovery and may result in no difference in serious adverse events (both low CoE) but may increase adverse events (44.2% vs. 24.8%; low CoE). Molnupiravir probably improves recovery (31.8% vs. 22.6%) and reduces time to recovery (9 vs. 15 median days) and persistent symptoms from 3 to 6 months (8.5% vs. 11.0%), with no effect on mortality, hospitalization, serious adverse events, and adverse events (all moderate CoE). Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir may increase recovery (70.7% vs. 53.6%; low CoE) and reduce time to recovery (no data, LIMITATION: Evidence for many outcomes is limited.

conclusionThree COVID-19 antivirals improved or accelerated recovery, with varying adverse event profiles. Molnupiravir probably offers long-term benefits. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: American College of Physicians. (PROSPERO: CRD420251029146; OSF: https://osf.io/ywp6u).

Indexed as

Ambulatory CareAntiviral AgentsCOVID-19 Drug TreatmentCOVID-19HumansPandemicsSARS-CoV-2Antiviral Agents

Identifiers

PMID41662710

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.