Aim In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of ozone therapy, which is one of the integrative medicine applications that has been used safely for many years, on the prevalence of mortality in patients receiving COVID-19 treatment. Methods This was a prospective, controlled study conducted on patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized in Health Sciences University, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital. In this study, 55 patients were included. The patients were divided into two groups as the ozone group and the control group. Ozone therapy (major autohemotherapy) was applied to 37 patients who were being treated with the appropriate COVID-19 treatment protocol determined by the infectious diseases committee of our hospital. The ozone treatment protocol consisted of seven sessions (1 session/day) of intravenous ozone administration, applied in a volume of 100 mL and a concentration of 30 μg/mL. Only the conventional COVID-19 treatment protocol was applied to 18 patients in the control group. Clinical follow-up was performed until the discharge of the patients from the hospital with successful treatment or until the mortality occurred. Factors affecting mortality were analyzed using univariate regression analysis. Results Intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization was required in six of 37 patients who were treated with ozone (16.2%), while four of 18 patients in the control group required ICU treatment (22.2%) (p = 0.713). When the mortality rates between the two groups were compared, mortality was lower in the ozone group (p = 0.032). As a result of univariate logistic regression analysis performed to determine the factors affecting mortality, treatment without ozone therapy was determined as a risk factor for mortality (OR:0.149, 95%CI 0.026-0.863, p=0.034). Conclusion In this study, we demonstrated that administration of ozone therapy along with the conventional medical treatment in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 could reduce mortality.

Aim: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has a significant physiological role in the renin – angiotensin – aldosterone system (RAAS) pathway. The ACE2 receptor acts as a virus receptor in the pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of ACEIs use on radiological imaging and clinical course in COVID-19. Methods: In this study, patients who had been using medications for the diagnosis of hypertension and who were hospitalized in Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital due to COVID-19 pneumonia were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The mean age of 107 patients included in this study was 68,49±11,95, and 50.5% (n = 54) of them were male. The patients were divided into two separate study groups as ACEIs users and non-users. In the first of these groups, 55 patients were using ACEIs due to hypertension. In the second group, 52 patients were using calcium channel blockers (CCBs), β-blockers, alpha-2 blockers, or diuretics, alone or in combination. When the lung computed tomography images were examined, multilobar findings were less common in the ACEIs group, which was remarkable (p <0.001). When the clinical endpoint was evaluated, the findings showed that the mortality rates were different in the groups ACEIs users and non-users (12.7% vs. 32.7%, respectively, p=0.013). Conclusion: Although the role of RAAS blockade in COVID-19 is still not fully elucidated, we have shown that COVID-19 progresses with less damage in the lungs with patients who have been using ACEIs.