Benefits of Using Dapsone in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19

Badar A Kanwar; Asif Khattak; Jenny Balentine; Jong Hoon Lee; Richard E Kast

doi:10.3390/vaccines10020195

Benefits of Using Dapsone in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19

Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Jan 26;10(2):195. doi: 10.3390/vaccines10020195.

Authors

Badar A Kanwar¹, Asif Khattak¹, Jenny Balentine¹, Jong Hoon Lee², Richard E Kast³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care, Hunt Regional Hospital, Greenville, TX 75401, USA.
² Science and Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.
³ IIAIGC Study Center, Burlington, VT 05408, USA.

Abstract

Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, refractory and relentless hypoxia as a consequence of exuberant lung inflammation and parenchymal damage remains the main cause of death. We have earlier reported results of the addition of dapsone in this population to the standard of care. We now report a further chart review of discharge outcomes among patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The 2 × 2 table analysis showed a lower risk of death or discharge to LTAC (Long term acute care) (RR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.84) and a higher chance of discharge home (RR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.2 to 5.9) among patients receiving dapsone compared to those receiving the usual standard of care. A larger, blinded randomized trial should be carried out urgently to determine if dapsone indeed improves outcomes in COVID-19.

Keywords: ARDS; COVID-19; NLRP3; dapsone.