Short-Term Corticosteroid Therapy for Early Exacerbation of COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND The effect of corticosteroids in the management of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear. CASE REPORT A 67-year-old man who tested positive for COVID-19 by reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analysis was admitted to our hospital. On admission, he had no dyspnea and his oxygen saturation (SpO₂) level was normal. Chest imaging revealed ground-glass opacities (GGO) distributed in both lung fields. Four days after admission, bilateral lung shadows worsened, with a slight reduction in SpO₂ levels. Short-term corticosteroid therapy was initiated, and SpO₂ and radiographic findings promptly improved without use of antiviral agents. CONCLUSIONS More data are required to ascertain the role of corticosteroids in the management of COVID-19 pneumonia.