Antibiotics for the treatment of COVID-19

Popp M, Stegemann M, Riemer M, Metzendorf MI, Romero CS, Mikolajewska A, Kranke P, Meybohm P, Skoetz N, Weibel S. Antibiotics for the treatment of COVID-19. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, No. 10. Art. No.: CD015025. doi: 10.1002 /14651858.CD015025. accessed on October 28, 2021.

Commentary

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of antibiotics in comparison with each other, this study will demonstrate the efficacy of COVID-19 in outpatients and inpatients with no treatment, standard treatment only, and placebo.

As a result, we had reviewed 11 studies with 11,281 participants with a mean age of 54 years that investigated antibiotics compared to placebo, standard treatment and another antibiotic. No studies were found that compared antibiotics to interventions with proven efficacy.

All studies examined azithromycin, and two studies examined other antibiotics in comparison to azithromycin.

Seven studies examined inpatients with moderate to severe COVID-19, and four studies examined mild COVID-19 cases in an outpatient setting. eight studies had an open-label design, two were placebo-controlled and blinded, and one did not report blinding. Pending publication of results or clarification of discrepancies, we identified 19 ongoing studies and 15 studies awaiting classification.

Based on our analysis of these studies, we conclude with certainty that the risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is not reduced by treatment with azithromycin after 28 days.