Role of Co-trimoxazole in Severe COVID-19 Patients

Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Severe disease occurs in 15% of the cases with COVID-19 and may progress to critical disease in only 5% of the cases with a high risk of mortality. Critical disease may present as acute respiratory failure secondary to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and is caused by the body's hyper-immune response to the virus in the form of a cytokine storm syndrome (CSS). There is currently no effective anti-viral treatment against SARS-CoV-2 and the mainstay of treatment is supportive. Co-trimoxazole (combination of trimethoprim and sulphamethoxazole in a 1:5) ratio is a Sulphur containing anti-folate bactericidal antibiotic indicated for the treatment of respiratory tract infections. It has been around for over 60 years and is inexpensive and readily available with a good safety profile. It has a rapid onset of action with excellent bioavailability and lung penetration. In addition to having antimicrobial properties co-trimoxazole have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties and may be a potential treatment option for cytokine storm syndrome mediated severe COVID-19. This open-label randomized controlled trial will be conducted in the department of medicine at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Anwar Khan Modern Medical college and Mughda Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Dhaka for a duration of 6 months following approval of this protocol. It will recruit at least 94 consecutive adults (18 years or older) patients with clinically suspected COVID-19 and severe illness as per WHO criteria. After taking informed written consent patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either oral co-trimoxazole in addition to standard therapy or standard therapy alone. Baseline characteristics, changes in the physiological and biochemical parameters like (SpO2/FiO2 ratio, respiratory rate, body temperature and C - reacti