The effect of antidepressants on severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis (original) (raw)

IntroductionClinical depression and the subsequent low immunity is a comorbidity that can act as a risk factor for severity of COVID-19 cases. Antidepressants such as SSRI and SNRI are associated with immune-modulatory effects, which dismiss inflammatory response and reduce lung tissue damage. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effect of antidepressant drugs on prognosis and severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.MethodsA systematic search was carried out in PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and Scopus up to January 16, 2022. The following keywords were used: “COVID-19”, “SARS-CoV-2”, “2019-nCoV”, “SSRI”, “SNRI”, “TCA”, “MAOI”, and “Antidepressant”. The pooled risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI was assessed using a fixed or random-effect model. We considered P < 0.05 as statistically significant for publication bias. Data were analyzed by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software, Version 2.0 (Biostat, Englewood, NJ).ResultsTwelve studies were included in our s...