Observational studyPloS one2025
In-hospital mortality outcomes of favipiravir in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection: An emulated target trial using real-world data from the largest field hospital in Thailand.
Observational study in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFavipiravir, an antiviral agent, has been widely used to treat COVID-19 due to its potential mechanism of action, despite limited evidence of its efficacy in moderate to severe cases.
aimThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of favipiravir in improving in-hospital mortality outcomes among patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 through an emulation of a target trial.
methodsWe emulated a target trial using observational data from Bussarakham field hospital, Thailand between May 14 and September 20, 2021. Patients were categorized into three groups: those receiving favipiravir with dexamethasone (FPV with Dexa), favipiravir alone (FPV), and symptomatic treatment (ST). In-hospital mortality within 30 days was the primary outcome.
resultsFrom 18,184 patients admitted to the hospital, a total of 3,193 moderate to severe COVID-19 cases were included. Of these, 2,256 (70.65%) received FPV with Dexa, 828 (25.93%) received FPV, and 109 (3.41%) received ST. The restricted mean survival times were 29.68 days (95% CI: 29.52, 29.84) for FPV with Dexa, 29.46 days (95% CI: 29.22, 29.71) for FPV, and 28.14 days (95% CI: 26.51, 29.76) for ST. Only FPV showed marginally significant difference when compared to ST. However, there was a trend in prolonging survival time in FPV with Dexa group, and the results were more pronounced in severe and hypoxic patients.
conclusionOur emulated target trial suggests favipiravir, especially with dexamethasone, offers a modest survival benefit in moderate to severe COVID-19, particularly in hypoxic patients. It supports favipiravir as a practical antiviral in settings where other antivirals are not available. Further randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm its role, alongside standard corticosteroid therapy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.