https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19...tay-some-patients-amid-omicron-study-suggests
Paxlovid slashed risk of COVID hospital stay in some patients amid Omicron, study suggests
Mary Van Beusekom, MS
Today at 3:01 p.m.
COVID-19
The study, led by researchers from the Institut National d'Excellence en Sante et Services Sociaux in Quebec, Canada, analyzed data from 8,402 high-risk COVID-19 outpatients receiving nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) and 8,402 matched infected but untreated control patients from March 15 to October 15, 2022, with 1 month of follow-up. The study period was dominated by the Omicron BA.2 and BA.4/5 subvariants.
Of all patients, 58% were women, 57% were aged 60 or older, 56% didn't complete a primary COVID-19 vaccination course, 51% had five or more chronic conditions, 46% had a cardiovascular or respiratory disease, 18% had severely weakened immune systems, and 16% had cancer.
44% lower risk among immune-compromised
Among Paxlovid recipients, 2.1% were hospitalized, with the highest rates of admission among older patients (4.3% of those aged 80 to 89 and 6.9% of those 90 and older). Paxlovid treatment was associated with a 69% lower risk of hospitalization by 30 days, regardless of vaccination status (RR, 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28 to 0.36; number needed to treat [NNT] to prevent one hospitalization, 13).
The effect was more evident in patients who didn't complete a primary COVID-19 vaccination regimen (RR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.06; NNT, 8), but those who had completed a course didn't benefit (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.78 to 1.08). The study authors said the latter findings suggest that receiving a booster dose at 6 months is an effective way to prevent severe disease.
A subgroup analysis among patients with severely weakened immune systems who had completed a primary COVID-19 vaccine regimen showed that Paxlovid was tied to a significantly lower RR of hospitalization (RR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.89; NNT, 16).
"These findings confirm the ability of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir to reduce the risk of hospitalization in individuals with high risk of progression to severe disease and infected with different Omicron variants of SARS-Cov-2," the researchers wrote.
These findings confirm the ability of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir to reduce the risk of hospitalization in individuals with high risk of progression to severe disease and infected with different Omicron variants of SARS-Cov-2.
Paxlovid recipients aged 70 and older who completed a primary vaccine series at least 6 months earlier were also at a significantly lower risk of hospitalization (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.74; NNT, 10).
The findings, along with Paxlovid's oral dosing, make it "one of the preferred treatment options for infected outpatients at high risk of severe COVID-19, especially since several alternative options are not able to neutralize certain variants of SARS-CoV-2," the researchers wrote
Paxlovid slashed risk of COVID hospital stay in some patients amid Omicron, study suggests
Mary Van Beusekom, MS
Today at 3:01 p.m.
COVID-19
The antiviral drug Paxlovid was tied to a 96% lower relative risk (RR) of COVID-19 hospitalization among high-risk outpatients who didn't complete a primary vaccination series but didn't benefit those who had received at least two doses amid the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, according to a real-world study published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.The study, led by researchers from the Institut National d'Excellence en Sante et Services Sociaux in Quebec, Canada, analyzed data from 8,402 high-risk COVID-19 outpatients receiving nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) and 8,402 matched infected but untreated control patients from March 15 to October 15, 2022, with 1 month of follow-up. The study period was dominated by the Omicron BA.2 and BA.4/5 subvariants.
Of all patients, 58% were women, 57% were aged 60 or older, 56% didn't complete a primary COVID-19 vaccination course, 51% had five or more chronic conditions, 46% had a cardiovascular or respiratory disease, 18% had severely weakened immune systems, and 16% had cancer.
44% lower risk among immune-compromised
Among Paxlovid recipients, 2.1% were hospitalized, with the highest rates of admission among older patients (4.3% of those aged 80 to 89 and 6.9% of those 90 and older). Paxlovid treatment was associated with a 69% lower risk of hospitalization by 30 days, regardless of vaccination status (RR, 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28 to 0.36; number needed to treat [NNT] to prevent one hospitalization, 13).
The effect was more evident in patients who didn't complete a primary COVID-19 vaccination regimen (RR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.06; NNT, 8), but those who had completed a course didn't benefit (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.78 to 1.08). The study authors said the latter findings suggest that receiving a booster dose at 6 months is an effective way to prevent severe disease.
A subgroup analysis among patients with severely weakened immune systems who had completed a primary COVID-19 vaccine regimen showed that Paxlovid was tied to a significantly lower RR of hospitalization (RR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.89; NNT, 16).
"These findings confirm the ability of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir to reduce the risk of hospitalization in individuals with high risk of progression to severe disease and infected with different Omicron variants of SARS-Cov-2," the researchers wrote.
These findings confirm the ability of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir to reduce the risk of hospitalization in individuals with high risk of progression to severe disease and infected with different Omicron variants of SARS-Cov-2.
Paxlovid recipients aged 70 and older who completed a primary vaccine series at least 6 months earlier were also at a significantly lower risk of hospitalization (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.74; NNT, 10).
The findings, along with Paxlovid's oral dosing, make it "one of the preferred treatment options for infected outpatients at high risk of severe COVID-19, especially since several alternative options are not able to neutralize certain variants of SARS-CoV-2," the researchers wrote