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Efficacy of a Low Dose of Melatonin as an Adjunctive Therapy in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Randomized, Double-blind Clinical Trial
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  • Gholamreza Farnoosh,
  • Mostafa Akbariqomi,
  • Taleb Badri,
  • Mahdi Bagheri,
  • Morteza Izadi,
  • Ali Saeedi-Boroujeni,
  • Ehsan Rezaie,
  • Hadi Esmaeili Gouvarchin Ghaleh,
  • Hossein Aghamollaei,
  • Mahdi Fasihi-ramandi,
  • Kazem Hassanpour,
  • GholamHossein Alishiri
Gholamreza Farnoosh
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Mostafa Akbariqomi
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Taleb Badri
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Mahdi Bagheri
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Morteza Izadi
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Ali Saeedi-Boroujeni
Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences
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Ehsan Rezaie
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Hadi Esmaeili Gouvarchin Ghaleh
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Hossein Aghamollaei
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Mahdi Fasihi-ramandi
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Kazem Hassanpour
Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences
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GholamHossein Alishiri
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences
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Abstract

Abstract Aim: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of adjuvant use of melatonin in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This single-center, double-blind, randomized clinical trial included 74 hospitalized patients with confirmed mild to moderate COVID-19 at Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran, Iran, from April 25, 2020 to June 5, 2020. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive standard of care and standard of care plus melatonin at a dose of 3 mg three times daily for 14 days. Clinical characteristics, laboratory, and radiological findings were assessed and compared between two study groups at baseline and post-intervention. Safety and clinical outcomes were followed up for four weeks. Results: A total of 24 patients in the intervention group and 20 patients in the control group completed the treatment. Compared with the control group, the clinical symptoms such as cough, dyspnea, and fatigue, as well as the level of CRP and the pulmonary involvement in the intervention group had significantly improved (P < 0.05). The mean time of hospital discharge of patients and return to baseline health was significantly shorter in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). No deaths and adverse events were observed in both groups during this study. Conclusions: Adjuvant use of melatonin has a potential to improve clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients and contribute to a faster return of patients to baseline health. Keywords: COVID-19, Melatonin, Clinical trial, Adjunctive therapy Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04409522
Jan 2022Published in Archives of Medical Research volume 53 issue 1 on pages 79-85. 10.1016/j.arcmed.2021.06.006