Tetracyclines in <scp>COVID</scp> ‐19 patients quarantined at home: Literature evidence supporting <scp>real‐world</scp> data from a multicenter observational study targeting inflammatory and infectious dermatoses
Laura Cristina Gironi, Giovanni Damiani, Elisa Zavattaro, Alessia Pacifico, Pierachille Santus, Paolo D. Pigatto, Ottavio Cremona, Paola Savoia
Abstract
Tetracyclines (TetraC) are widely used in dermatology for both inflammatory and infectious dermatoses; recently both in vivo and in vitro studies started to suggest also a potential antiviral effect. During COVID-19 outbreak, several dermatological patients contracted SARS-CoV-2 experiencing only mild symptoms, but no protocol were approved. A multicenter prospective observational study that enrolled COVID-19 patients visited with teledermatology and undergoing TetraC was performed. About 38 adult outpatients (M/F: 20/18, age 42.6 years [21-67]) were enrolled. During the TetraC treatment, symptoms resolved in all patients within 10 days. Remarkably, ageusia and anosmia disappeared in the first week of TetraC treatment. TetraC seem a promising drug to treat COVID-19 outpatients with mild symptoms.