Clinical efficacy of Lopinavir-Ritonavir combined with interferon alpha in COVID-19

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Lopinavir-Ritonavir combined with interferon alpha on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: A prospective and real-world observational clinical research was conducted on COVID-19 cases who were admitted to the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 25, 2020 to February 12, 2020. Of the 109 cases involved, 58 cases were treated with interferon alpha (group A), while 58 cases were treated with Lopinavir-Ritonavir combined with interferon alpha (group B). The recent outcomes were compared between the two groups by Kruskal Wallis test or Chi square test. Results: The baseline data of the two groups were basically the same. On the 7th day after treatment, the lung inflammation in group B was higher than in group A, and the leukocyte count and neutrophil count in the normal range increased as compared with the baseline value in group B. On the 14th day after treatment, the leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, CD4/CD8 cell count increased as compared with the baseline value, while CRP decreased from baseline in the B group, with statistically significant differnce. Conclusion: Lopinavir-Ritonavir combined with interferon alpha can accelerate the improvement of pulmonary inflammation, and increase the levels of immune cells in COVID-19 patients. © 2021, Editorial Board of Medical Journal of Wuhan University. All right reserved.