الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new coronavirus that causes severe respiratory disease. Because immunological status is critical in battling coronavirus, herbal medications with immunomodulatory properties may help to treat COVID-19. Nigella Sativa is herbal medication with antiviral and immunomodulatory properties, and its therapeutic efficacy suggests that it might be used as an adjuvant therapy in COVID-19. Furthermore, Vitamin D3 possesses immunomodulatory properties, however the therapeutic effect of Vitamin D3 supplementation in SARS-CoV-2 infection is unclear. The study aimed to investigate the effect of Nigella Sativa and Vitamin D3 as single supplemental therapy and in a combination as an antiviral therapy. The clinical effect is assessed by negative polymerase chain reaction and symptoms relief over the course of 14 days. The design was an open-label randomized controlled clinical trial, and conducted at the Respiratory Hospital at the Kobry El Qobba Armed Forces Medical Complex. Hundred and twenty COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms were included in the study. They were randomly assigned in to four groups, thirty patients each, as follows; -group 1 received an oral dose of 900 mg Nigella Sativa 450 mg soft gelatin capsules twice daily for two weeks, -group 2 received 2000 IU of Vitamin D3 1000 IU tablets given as two tablets once daily, -group 3 received 900 mg of Nigella Sativa and 2000 IU of Vitamin D3 in the same manner of dosing as in the previous groups, Summary MSc Thesis 2023 Page 88 -group 4 who are the controls. All groups received standard therapy for COVID- 19 infections for clinical management of COVID-19 clinical symptoms. Study results indicated that Nigella Sativa - Vitamin D3 combination added to the standard therapy of COVID-19 infections significantly contributed to the alleviation of most COVID-19 disease’ signs and symptoms. The results showed that 50% of patients were free of cough after 7 days, 70% showed an absence of fatigue after 4 days, 80% showed no headache after 5 days, while, 90% were free of rhinorrhea after 7 days and 86.7% of the patients had no dyspnea after 7 days. Furthermore, patients in all groups showed a reduced median temperature after 3 days of treatment. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test recorded negative results on the seventh and fourteenth day of therapy were superior in the Nigella Sativa - Vitamin D3 combination group compared to the other studied groups. The results of this study showed a promising therapeutic benefit of the administration of Nigella Sativa and Vitamin D3 combination in COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms. Additionally, the remarkable viral clearance in a short time interval and reduction in the severity and progression of symptoms recommended the use of this combination as an add-on therapy for the management of COVID-19 patients. |