A Trial of Lopinavir–Ritonavir in Adults Hospitalized with Severe Covid-19

Abstract

[Methods] We conducted a randomized, controlled, open-label trial involving hospitalized adult patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, which causes the respiratory illness Covid-19, and an oxygen saturation (Sao2 ) of 94% or less while they were breathing ambient air or a ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen (Pao2 ) to the fraction of inspired oxygen (Fio2 ) of less than 300 mm Hg. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either lopinavir–ritonavir (400 mg and 100 mg, respectively) twice a day for 14 days, in addition to standard care, or standard care alone. The primary end point was the time to clinical improvement, defined as the time from randomization to either an improvement of two points on a seven-category ordinal scale or discharge from the hospital, whichever came first.