Favipiravir for the treatment of COVID-19 in elderly patients—what do we know after 2 years of COVID-19?

Abstract

Since the appearance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), numerous studies have been conducted to find effective therapeutics. Favipiravir (FVP) is one of the repurposed drugs which has been authorized in a few countries on an emergency basis to treat COVID-19. Elderly individuals especially 65 years or older are more prone to develop severe illness. We aim to provide a short summary of the current knowledge of the antiviral efficacy of favipiravir with respect to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)–infected elderly patients. We found that it is rather controversial whether favipiravir is effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data regarding patients 65 years or older is not sufficient to support or reject the usage of favipiravir for COVD-19 treatment. Further studies would be advisable to elicit the efficiency of favipiravir in elderly COVID-19 patients.