Table 2.
Dosage and time period of antiviral drugs, quercetin, and other therapies used in the study.
| Group | Dosage and duration of administration |
|---|---|
| Control and intervention | Remdesivir (Ronak Pharmaceutical Co. Tehran, Iran) |
| First day: 200 mg (IV injection) | |
| Second to fifth day: 100 mg (IV injection daily) | |
| Favipiravir (Cytovex, Abidi Pharmaceutical Co. Tehran, Iran) | |
| First day: 3200 mg (1600 mg PO BD) | |
| Second to fifth day: 1200 mg (600 mg PO BD) | |
| Intervention | Quercetina (Jarrow FORMULAS, USA) |
| 1000 mg daily for 7 days (500 mg PO BD) | |
| Control and intervention | Vitamin. D: 1000 IU PO daily |
| MgSO4: 250 mg PO BD (based on serum Mg level) | |
| Famotidine: 40 mg PO daily | |
| Zinc sulfate: 30 mg PO daily | |
| Vitamin C: 500–1000 mg PO daily | |
| Dexamethasone: 8 mg daily IV injection |
PO: Oral consumption BD: Bidaily.
Several formulation strategies such as enzymatic modifications and the use of vitamins have been tested to enhance the bioavailability and dissolution of quercetin in the human body. In this study, 500 mg veggie caps dietary supplement of quercetin (manufactured by Jarrow Formulas Company, USA) was used. According to the manufacturer, this dietary supplement is suitable for vegetarians or vegans, and no wheat, gluten, soybeans, dairy, egg, fish/shellfish, or peanuts/tree nuts is found in this product. Moreover, the product is also non-GMO and contains only organic ingredients. Based on the recent reports, vitamin C was prescribed for all the patients enrolled in the study to improve the efficacy and bioavailability of quercetin (Ahmed et al., 2020; Colunga Biancatelli et al., 2020).