Probiotics use is associated with improved clinical outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Currently, there are no definitive therapies for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Gut microbial dysbiosis has been proved to be associated with COVID-19 severity and probiotics is an adjunctive therapy for COIVD-19. However, the potential benefit of probiotics in COVID-19 has not been studied. We aimed to assess the relationship of probiotics use with clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

METHODS

We conducted a propensity-score matched retrospective cohort study of adult patients with COVID-19. Eligible patients received either probiotics plus standard care (probiotics group) or standard care alone (non-probiotics group). The primary outcome was the clinical improvement rate, which was compared among propensity-score matched groups and in the unmatched cohort. Secondary outcomes included the duration of viral shedding, fever, and hospital stay.

RESULTS

Among the propensity-score matched groups, probiotics use was related to clinical improvement rates (log-rank  = 0.028). This relationship was driven primarily by a shorter (days) time to clinical improvement [difference, -3 (-4 to -1),  = 0.022], reduction in duration of fever [-1.0 (-2.0 to 0.0),  = 0.025], viral shedding [-3 (-6 to -1),  < 0.001], and hospital stay [-3 (-5 to -1),  = 0.009]. Using the Cox model with time-varying exposure, use of probiotics remained independently related to better clinical improvement rate in the unmatched cohort.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that probiotics use was related to improved clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Further studies are required to validate the effect of probiotics in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.