Bromhexine for Post-exposure COVID-19 Prophylaxis: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial
| Author | Ramin Tolouian | en |
| Author | Omid Moradi | en |
| Author | Zuber D. Mulla | en |
| Author | Shadi Ziaie | en |
| Author | Mehrdad Haghighi | en |
| Author | Hadi Esmaily | en |
| Author | Hossein Amini | en |
| Author | Rezvan Hassanpour | en |
| Author | Elham Poorheidar | en |
| Author | Mehran Kouchek | en |
| Author | Alireza Manafi-Rasi | en |
| Author | Shahnaz Sali | en |
| Author | Sara Abolghasemi | en |
| Author | Shabnam Tehrani | en |
| Author | Audrey C. Tolouian | en |
| Author | Alireza Zali | en |
| Author | Mohammad Sistanizad | en |
| Orcid | Ramin Tolouian [0000-0003-2242-9310] | en |
| Orcid | Omid Moradi [0000-0001-5754-535X] | en |
| Orcid | Zuber D. Mulla [0000-0003-1670-5702] | en |
| Orcid | Shadi Ziaie [0000-0002-4358-470X] | en |
| Orcid | Mehrdad Haghighi [0000-0003-3139-3225] | en |
| Orcid | Hadi Esmaily [0000-0001-6915-6028] | en |
| Orcid | Hossein Amini [0000-0002-6594-0760] | en |
| Orcid | Rezvan Hassanpour [0000-0003-0165-4439] | en |
| Orcid | Elham Poorheidar [0000-0001-5410-5068] | en |
| Orcid | Mehran Kouchek [0000-0002-2070-9856] | en |
| Orcid | Alireza Manafi-Rasi [0000-0001-6355-704X] | en |
| Orcid | Shahnaz Sali [0000-0001-8494-0611] | en |
| Orcid | Sara Abolghasemi [0000-0001-7117-6079] | en |
| Orcid | Shabnam Tehrani [0000-0001-7005-5398] | en |
| Orcid | Audrey C. Tolouian [0000-0002-9764-8510] | en |
| Orcid | Alireza Zali [0000-0002-2298-2290] | en |
| Orcid | Mohammad Sistanizad [0000-0002-7836-6411] | en |
| Issued Date | 2022-08-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Limited medications are available for post-exposure prophylaxis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Whether bromhexine can prevent or mitigate symptomatic infection after virus exposure is undetermined. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate bromhexine's effect on preventing COVID-19 after close contact exposure. Methods: A multi-center randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 372 adults (≥ 18 years) who had close contact within four days with a household member with confirmed COVID-19. They were randomly assigned to receive bromhexine 8 mg (n = 187) or placebo (n = 185) three times a day for two weeks. The primary outcome was the incidence of symptomatic COVID-19. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization or death, confirmed COVID-19 by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in symptomatic patients, and adverse drug reactions. Results: The incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 was significantly lower in individuals who received bromhexine than in those who received the placebo (16 [8.6%] vs. 34 [18.4%], relative risk = 0.47, P = 0.005). PCR confirmation was reported in 13 (7.0%) and 26 (14.1%) individuals in the bromhexine and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.025), with a relative risk reduction of 50%. The hospitalization rate, death, and medication side effects did not vary significantly between the bromhexine and placebo arms. Conclusions: Bromhexine is an effective, non-invasive, affordable agent with a low side-effect profile to prevent symptomatic COVID-19. Early use of bromhexine potentially provides another layer of protection; hence, it can play a role in controlling the pandemic. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-130198 | en |
| Keyword | Bromhexine | en |
| Keyword | COVID-19 | en |
| Keyword | Post-exposure Prophylaxis | en |
| Keyword | Randomized Controlled Trial | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Bromhexine for Post-exposure COVID-19 Prophylaxis: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
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