Study of the Effects of Interferon Β−1a on Hospitalized Patients with COVID‐19: SBMU Taskforce on the COVIFERON Study

Interferons are an essential part of the innate immune system and have antiviral and immunomodulatory functions. We studied the effects of interferon β‐1a on the outcomes of severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This retrospective study was conducted on hospitalized COVID‐19 patients in Loghman‐Hakim hospital from February 20, 2020 to April 20, 2020, Tehran, Iran. Patients were selected from two groups, the first group received interferon β‐1a in addition to the standard treatment regimen, and the second group received standard care. The clinical progression of two groups during their hospital admission was compared. We studied a total number of 395 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients. Out of this number, 111 patients (33.5%) died (31.3% of the interferon β‐1a group and 34.1% of the control group). The mortality rate indicated no statistically significant difference between groups (p‐value = 0.348), however for patients who were hospitalized for more than a week, the rate of mortality was lower in the interferon β‐1a group (p‐value = 0.014). The median hospital stay was statistically longer for patients treated by interferon β‐1a (p‐value < 0.001). The results of this study showed that interferon β‐1a can improve the outcomes of hospitalized patients with severe COVID‐19, but more adequately‐powered randomized controlled trials should be conducted.