Small RCT with 237 hospitalized patients in China with severe COVID-19, not showing statistically significant benefits. 158 treatment patients and 79 control patients.
While too small for significance, the subgroup treated within 10 days showed reduced mortality RR 0.76,
p = 0.58, and reduced median time to clinical improvement of 18 days vs. 23 days, hazard ratio 1.52 [0.95-2.43].
Wang et al., 6/29/2020, Randomized Controlled Trial, peer-reviewed, 46 authors.
all patients, 8.6% higher, RR 1.09, p = 1.00, treatment 22 of 158 (13.9%), control 10 of 78 (12.8%).
<10 days from symptoms, 24.3% lower, RR 0.76, p = 0.58, treatment 8 of 71 (11.3%), control 7 of 47 (14.9%).
>10 days from symptoms, 47.6% higher, RR 1.48, p = 0.76, treatment 12 of 84 (14.3%), control 3 of 31 (9.7%).
Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious
outcomes. For an individual study the most serious outcome may have a smaller
number of events and lower statistical signficance, however this provides the
strongest evidence for the most serious outcomes when combining the results of
many trials.