July 30, 2020

Efficacy of Corticosteroids in Patients with SARS, MERS and COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies (8 studies with 4,051 patients) evaluated the benefits of steroids in patients with coronavirus infections. Among the studies, 3,416 patients were diagnosed with SARS, 360 patients with MERS, and 275 with COVID-19; 60% patients were administered steroids. The meta-analyses including all studies showed no differences overall in terms of mortality (OR=1.15; 95% CI 0.63-2.10). However, in some studies the patients in the steroid group had more severe symptoms than those in the control group. In contrast, when the meta-analysis was performed restricting only to studies that used appropriate adjustment (e.g., time, disease severity), use of steroids was associated with a lower risk of mortality (HR=0.38; 95% CI 0.22-0.65).  

Lee et al. (July 2020). Efficacy of Corticosteroids in Patients with SARS, MERS and COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9082392