Fluvoxamine may reduce the need for COVID-19 hospitalization

A study published in the journal Lancet Global Health found early treatment using a cheap antidepressant – fluvoxamine – reduced the need for hospitalization in adults with COVID-19 at high risk of severe disease.

Study participants included 1497 high-risk symptomatic adults with COVID-19 from 11 clinical sites in Brazil – 741 and 756 patients were randomly assigned to the fluvoxamine and placebo groups, respectively.

Patients in the fluvoxamine group were given 100 mg of the antidepressant twice daily for ten days. According to the paper, a 10-day course of fluvoxamine costs about $4.

It was found that 11% of the patients from the fluvoxamine group needed hospitalization or ER treatment instead of the 16% from the placebo group.

The paper stated, “Given fluvoxamine’s safety, tolerability, ease of use, low cost, and widespread availability, these findings might influence national and international guidelines on the clinical management of COVID-19.”