A Comparative Study of Antiretroviral (Lopinavir/Ritonavir) and Remdesivir Used in the Pandemic in Iraq on the Clinical Outcome in Patients with SARS-CoV-2

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which emerged in December 2019, has infected millions worldwide and caused many deaths. Due to its high mortality rate, several studies assessed the effectiveness of different drugs against COVID-19, mainly in reducing the hospitalization rate among the elderly and compromised patients. Lopinavir-ritonavir combination and remdesivir were among the medications used to treat COVID-19. Due to considerable differences in the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of the two treatments, this study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between COVID-19 patients treated with antiretrovirals (lopinavir-ritonavir) and remdesivir. A total of 33 patients on lopinavir-ritonavir and 35 on remdesivir were selected for this study. A retrospective comparative analysis was conducted based on demographic characteristics, hospital stay, laboratory parameters of C-reactive protein (CRP) and plasma blood oxygen saturation (SPO2), clinical treatment, and a clinical outcome assessment extracted from hospital archive data. Both treatments improved patient outcomes, yet there was a significant difference between lopinavir-ritonavir and remdesivir groups in platelet count, CRP, SPO2, and monocyte results, with remdesivir showing better clinical outcomes. No significant difference was reported in white blood cells, lymphopenia, and lactate dehydrogenase between the two treatments. It is still necessary to conduct further research to determine how effective the two treatments are in treating severe COVID-19 cases due to the limited number of available studies and the inconsistency in research methods and measurements.