Efficacy and Safety of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Molnupiravir in Non-Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Oral antiviral agents nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NMV/r) and molnupiravir are recommended for the early treatment of non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19 who are at increased risk of disease progression. Real-world comparative data on these two agents remain limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of NMV/r and molnupiravir in non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center study with a sample size of 122 initially non-hospitalized adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina (UCCV), Novi Sad, Serbia, during 2022. Patients were treated within the first five days of symptom onset with either NMV/r (n = 48) or molnupiravir (n = 74) for five days. Demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, comorbidities, vaccination status, laboratory parameters at baseline and on day 3, chest radiography findings, hospitalization, and mortality were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, vaccination status, or vaccine type. Between baseline and day 3, the increase in lymphocyte count (p < 0.001) was significantly greater in the molnupiravir group. Chest radiography showed no significant between-group differences. Overall, 6 patients (4.9%) were hospitalized, with no significant difference between antiviral agents (p = 1.000), and no deaths occurred. Among patient-reported symptoms effects, the incidence of dysgeusia was significantly higher in patients treated with NMV/r (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Both antivirals showed similarly low progression, hospitalization, and mortality rates.