ABSTRACT

Objective: Given the high morbidity and mortality caused by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), scientific research is necessary to achieve a proper treatment regimen. Since doxycycline is effective in reducing inflammatory factors, including IL-6 and TNF-alpha that play an essential role in initiating cytokine storms and probably causing death in patients with COVID-19, its use is associated with low side effects and can be used orally; the, present study was attempted to evaluate the efficacy of doxycycline in the treatment of inpatients and outpatients with COVID-19. Methods: This descriptive and prospective study was performed on inpatients and outpatients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test from nasopharyngeal secretions or computerized tomography scan (CT Scan). Patients who met the inclusion criteria received doxycycline at a dose of 100 mg every 12 hours for seven days and then were evaluated on the baseline day. On days 3, 7, and 14 after admission for cough, shortness of breath, temperature, and oxygen saturation. Finding: Out of 21 patients, 11 patients were male, and ten patients were female. Cough, shortness of breath, temperature, and O2 sat improved in both outpatients and inpatients compared to baseline. In general, the results showed that doxycycline was more effective in improving cough, SOB, temperature, and O2 sat in outpatients than inpatients.

Conclusion: The results of this study show that doxycycline with the dose and duration prescribed in our study could play a useful role in treating patients with COVID-19.

Keyword: Doxycycline, COVID-19, Outpatients, Inpatients, Treatment