EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF FAVIPIRAVIR IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19: A REVIEW OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSIS

Background &  Aims: Favipiravir is an antiviral drug that is widely used in patients with Covid-19. The aim of this study was to review the systematic review and meta-analysis studies of Favipiravir in patients with Covid-19. Materials & Methods: An electronic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases until December 2021. In addition, other databases were searched. A manual search of studies and other sources was also conducted to find evidence. The Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire tool was used to evaluate the quality of articles. Results: Seven systematic review and meta-analysis studies were included in the study. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in mortality between Favipiravir and control groups in the patients with Covid-19. Other findings showed that the rate of clinical improvement was higher in two studies on day 7 in the Favipiravir group than that in the control group, while in another study, no statistically significant difference was found between Favipiravir and the control groups. Other findings of the study showed that negative RT-PCR result rate in four studies in the Favipiravir group was higher than that in the control group, although in one study no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups. Also, no difference in mechanical ventilation was found in the favipiravir and control groups. Regarding Side effects, most studies indicated that there was no difference between Favipiravir and control. Conclusion: The results showed that Favipiravir has no effect on mortality and mechanical ventilation and only affects the rate of clinical improvement of patients and negative result for RT-PCR.