Table 2.
Studies Reporting Viral Clearance in COVID-19 Patients Receiving Corticosteroids
| Study | Age, y | Region, Hospital | Patients Receiving Corticosteroids | Corticosteroid Dosage | Viral Clearance in Corticosteroids vs No Corticosteroids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fang et al45 | 40 ± 12.6 | China, Anhui Provincial Hospital | 25/78 (32) | MP hydrocortisone-equivalent dose, 237.5 mg/d for 7 d in general group, 250.0 mg/d for 4.5 d in severe group | Mean viral clearance in nonsevere patients: corticosteroids 17.6 ± 4.9 d vs no corticosteroids 18.7 ± 7.7 d (P = .667) Mean viral clearance in severe patients: corticosteroids 18.8 ± 5.3 d vs no corticosteroids 18.3 ± 4.2 d (P = .84) |
| Gong et al49 | 38 ± 8.9 | China, First Clinical Medical College of Three Gorges University | 18/34 (52.9) | MP, 1-2 mg/kg/d gradually halved every 3 d for a total of 5-10 d | Mean time to negative nucleic acid: corticosteroids 29.11 ± 6.61 d vs no corticosteroids 24.44 ± 5.21 d (P < .05) |
| Hu et al53 | 46 (33-57) | China, Second Hospital of Nanjing | 28/72 (38.8) | MP, 140 mg/d for 4.54 d | Median viral clearance: corticosteroids 18 d (IQR, 14.3-23.5 d) vs no corticosteroids 17 d (IQR,12-20 d; P = .252) |
| Li et al61 | . . . | China, Yichang Central People’s Hospital | NA/206 | Unspecified corticosteroids 40-80 mg/d | High-dose corticosteroids (80 mg/d) delayed viral clearance (aHR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.46-0.96; P = .031), but low-dose corticosteroids (40 mg/d) did not (aHR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.48-1.08; P = .11) |
| Xu et al85 | 52 (43-63) | China, First Affiliated Hospital and the Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital | 64/113 (56.6) | MP, < 1.5 mg/kg/d | Viral shedding > 15 d was seen more frequently in patients receiving corticosteroids, 64.5% vs 40.5% (P = .025) |
| Yuan et al90 | 48.1 (33-64) | China, Central Hospital of Wuhan | 35/70 (50) | MP, median dose 44.6 mg/d | Median viral clearance: corticosteroids 20.3 d (IQR, 15.2-24.8 d) vs no corticosteroids 19.4 d (IQR, 11.5-28.3 d; P = .669) |
| Zha et al91 | 39 (32-54) | China, Anhui Provincial Hospital | 11/31 (35.4) | MP, 40 mg once or twice daily for 5 d | Median viral clearance: corticosteroids 15 d (IQR, 14-16 d) vs no corticosteroids 14 d (IQR, 11-17; P = .87) |
Data are presented as No./Total No. (%), mean ± SD, or median (IQR), unless otherwise indicated. aHR = adjusted hazard ratio; COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019; IQR = interquartile range; MP = methylprednisolone.