Comparison of the Different Medications for COVID-19 in Kidney
Transplant Recipients
Abstract
Background We analyzed the effects of small-molecule antiviral treatment
for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) Omicron strain in kidney
transplant recipients. Methods We enrolled 140 kidney transplant
patients admitted for COVID-19-related pneumonia were treated using
small-molecule antivirals. Patients were divided into three groups:
azvudine (n=62), paxlovid (n=49), and a combination of azvudine+paxlovid
(A+P, n=29). Differences in clinical outcomes owing to COVID-19
infections were compared among three groups. Results Paxlovid group had
a higher proportion of comorbid diabetes than the other two groups
(P=0.032). There were differences in the clinical typing of the
coronavirus , with the highest proportion of heavy and critical cases in
the A+P group (35.5%). The immunosuppression prior to infection did not
differ among the groups; however, after adjusting for immunosuppression
during antiviral treatment, differences were observed. Of the 140
patients, 125 (89.29%) had fever, 114 (81.43%) had cough, and 66
(47.1%) had malaise. Combination of two or more symptoms were found in
90% patients. Mean length of hospitalization was slightly longer in the
combination group than in the azvudine and paxlovid groups. Four deaths,
all in the A+P group; five cases of loss of function, two in the
paxlovid group and three in the A+P group; and acute kidney injury
occurred in 30 patients with 7 in the azvudine, 17 in paxlovid, and 6 in
A+P groups. Conclusion The use of small-molecule medications may be the
optimal treatment approach; however, they should be modified based on
the patients’ conditions, such as clinical symptoms, laboratory results,
paraclinicals, and examinations.