Internal medicine
-
Objective Among treatment options for coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19), well-studied oral medications are limited. We conducted a multicenter non-randomized, uncontrolled single-arm prospective study to assess the efficacy and safety of favipiravir for patients with COVID-19. Methods One hundred participants were sequentially recruited to 2 cohorts: cohort 1 (Day 1: 1,600 mg/day, Day 2 to 14: 600 mg/day, n=50) and cohort 2 (Day 1: 1,800 mg/day, Day 2 to 14: 800 mg/day, n=50). ⋯ However, no remarkable association of adverse events was observed between patients <65 and ≥65 years old. Conclusion The antiviral efficacy of favipiravir was difficult to interpret due to the limitation of the study design. However, no remarkable issues with safety or tolerability associated with favipiravir were observed, even in elderly patients with COVID-19.