Efficacy of High Dose Vitamin C, Melatonin and Zinc in Iranian Patients with Acute Respiratory Syndrome due to Coronavirus Infection: A Pilot Randomized Trial

Background: We aimed to investigate the efficacy of high-dose vitamin C, melatonin, and zinc in patients with severe Covid-۱۹.Materials and Methods: Twenty-one adult patients were randomized ۱:۱ to standard care alone or standard care plus IV vitamin C (۲ g, q۶hr), oral melatonin (۶ mg, q۶hr), and oral zinc sulfate (۵۰ mg, q۶hr) for ۱۰ days. Patients were monitored for changes in hypoxemia and inflammatory markers.Results: Both treatment modalities were effective to improve PaO۲/FiO۲ and oxygen saturation. However, there were no significant differences between the ۲ study groups (P>۰.۰۵). There were reductions in CRP, ESR, and LDH levels in both study groups, although were not significant. No significant difference was noted in the length of ICU stay between the ۲ study groups (P=۰.۳).Conclusion: Our study suggests that the addition of vitamin C, melatonin, and zinc to standard care is not associated with considerable improvement in patients with severe Covid-۱۹.

Keywords:

Covid-۱۹ , Vitamin C , Melatonin , ICU , Hypoxemia