Factors Influencing Disease Stability and Response to Tocilizumab Therapy in Severe COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

(1) Background: The efficacy of tocilizumab in COVID-19 has been doubted. The study aimed to investigate factors affecting disease stability and response to tocilizumab among severe COVID-19 patients. (2) Methods: This was a cohort study of 70 severe COVID-19 patients at NMC Royal Hospital, UAE, from April to June 2020. (3) Results: Elderly patients and those with cardiovascular comorbidities had a higher risk of unstable COVID-19 (p = 0.025). Regarding tocilizumab therapy timing, compared to the critical group receiving tocilizumab, the unstable severe patients receiving tocilizumab had a significantly higher rate of improvement (86%). In contrast, the late critical subgroup showed a significantly increased mortality rate (52.9%). The risk for secondary infection and adverse events following tocilizumab was higher in the late critical group than in the unstable severe and early critical groups (p = 0.024 and p = 0.006, respectively). Therapeutic doses of anticoagulation and high-dose vitamin D were correlated with better outcomes than the prophylactic dose and the treatment dose of vitamin D (p < 0.001 and p = 0.07, respectively). (4) Conclusions: elderly patients and those with cardiovascular disease developed unstable COVID-19. Tocilizumab is a potentially effective choice against severe and critical COVID-19. Early tocilizumab administration combined with therapeutic dose anticoagulation and high vitamin D doses could improve the patients’ outcomes.