Ribavirin’s Daily Dose Growth Determined as the Result of Medicament Testing May Be a Predictor of the Chronic Course of the Disease in Long COVID Syndrome Patients

Abstract

Introduction Long COVID syndrome, a multisystemic condition resulting from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, affects at least 65 million people worldwide. The disease pathogenesis is unclear, and many different assumptions still exist. This study aimed to explore the use of medicament testing to determine the optimal daily dose of ribavirin through the use of electroacupuncture via the Voll (EAV) diagnostic system for acupuncture points. Materials and methods One hundred one patients (aged 16 to 50) with long COVID syndrome were recruited from the Research Institute of Virology and were eligible according to the inclusion criteria. Patients were randomized to the experimental or the placebo groups. The patients were further examined with EAV diagnostics based on the level of electrodermal activity at the acupuncture points, followed by medicament testing with ribavirin (tablets) to determine the daily doses of the drug. Fifty-two participants were randomized to the experimental group and fourty nine to the placebo group and were considered for data analyses. Results The results of this study demonstrated the feasibility of using EAV to identify meridians with decreased levels of electrodermal activity at acupuncture points, followed by medicament testing with ribavirin to restore the decreased electrodermal conductivity at the studied acupuncture points and to measure the daily dose of the drug. Conclusions The measured daily doses of ribavirin in patients with long COVID syndrome may indirectly serve as a prognostic marker of the course of the disease. However, further clinical and instrumental studies are needed to evaluate the clinical application of medicament testing in assessing long-term COVID syndrome.