The Effect of Recombinant Erythropoietin on the Levels of Hemoglobin, Mean Corpuscular Volume, LDH, and Length of Stay at the Hospital in COVID-19 Patients

Background: Erythropoietin plays a significant role in the growth of red blood cells, hemoglobin levels, and tissue oxygenation in critically ill patients, as well as anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of recombinant erythropoietin on improving COVID-19 patients. Methods: This study was conducted on 20 COVID-19 participants with hemoglobin of ≥ 9. The inclusion criteria was at least one severe COVID-19 symptom/sign in this interventional study. The primary outcome was a combination of hospital stay length and paraclinical evaluation (LDH and hemoglobin level). The outcomes and side effects were evaluated on day 0 (before the intervention) and five (post-intervention). Results: The mean hemoglobin level was 10 ± 1.1 gr/dL in the intervention group and 8 ± 0.7 gr/dL in the control group post-treatment, indicating a significant difference between the groups (P = 0.04). The mean hospital stay length (6 ± 2 days) in the intervention group was significantly less than the control group (9 ± 4 days) (P = 0.001). At the end of the treatment, the mean LDH was significantly lower in the intervention group (503 ± 264 µ/L) than in the control group (725 ± 320 µ/L; P = 0.017). Conclusions: According to the results, this study provides the first solid evidence for the positive effects of recombinant erythropoietin on COVID-19.