Introduction: The global COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with high mortality, particularly among the elderly and patients with chronic comorbidities, but the vast majority of affected people are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms. The aim was to explore associations between treatments used and reported outcomes in patients who developed symptoms and were tested positive for COVID-19.
Methods: Adult participants were recruited to participate in an online survey from the general public in 13 countries (Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA), between July 2020 and May 2021. In this analysis we include participants who had symptoms of acute respiratory infection and/ or confirmed COVID-19 infection. A retrospective treatment-outcome approach to analyse statistical associations between treatments used and outcomes (duration and severity of symptoms).
Results: Over 54,000 participants completed the online questionnaire, and over 104,000 participants partially answered it. Regression of each outcome on the most frequently used treatments, adjusting for prespecified confounders (including age and comorbidities), will prioritise the treatments associated with the best outcomes.
Conclusion: The treatments associated with the best outcomes could be a priority for further research. However, one cannot conclude that these treatments are effective, because it is difficult to control for all confounders, especially baseline severity of illness.
Keywords: COVID-19; survey; Treatment outcomes; International