Table 1 Summary of included studies
Study ID | Design | Country | Sample size | Population & Inclusion criteria | Intervention | Control | Follow-up period (days) | Primary outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pimentel 2022 | Double-blinded RCT | Brazil | 43 | Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 through molecular examination (RT-PCR), aged between 18 to 65Â years old, fed with oral diet, with patent gastrointestinal tract, and not requiring ICU hospitalization or mechanical ventilation | 200Â ml units of a high-protein, normocaloric nutritional supplement enriched with L-arginine, nucleotides, and omega-3 essential fatty acids | 200Â ml units of a high protein, normocaloric nutritional supplement that did not include any additional immune nutrients | 8 | Changes in serum CRP level and total lymphocyte count |
Sedighiyan 2021 | Single-blinded RCT | Iran | 30 | Patients diagnosed with COVID-19, aged > 18, with BMI > 18.5 | Omega-3 (3 capsules containing 670 mg EPA and DHA) + 2 capsules containing 400 mg Hydroxychloroquine | Two capsules containing 400 mg hydroxychloroquine | 14 | Changes in serum CRP, ESR, and clinical symptoms, including pain, fatigue, appetite, and olfaction |
Kosmopoulos 2021 | Open-label RCT | Canada | 100 | Patients diagnosed with COVID-19, with a positive PCR test result obtained within the previous 72 h of enrollment, having at least one of these symptoms: cough, fever, sore throat, myalgia, or shortness of breath | Icosapent ethyl (8 g daily for three days, followed by 4 g daily for 11 days) | Usual care (no intervention) | 14 + 3 | Change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and change in InFLUenza Patient-Reported Outcome (FLU-PRO) diary scores |
Doaei 2021 | Double-blind RCT | Iran | 101 | Patients aged between 35 and 85Â years diagnosed with COVID-19 through a positive RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab and with the following symptoms: fever, fatigue, dry cough, respiratory distress, or severe pneumonia. Patients also had to be indicated for enteral nutrition | One capsule of 1000Â mg omega-3 daily containing 400Â mg EPA and 200Â mg DHA, through adding the supplement to their enteral formula | Placebo in the form of an isocaloric-isovolemic formula | 14 | Blood glucose, sodium (Na), potassium (K), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), albumin, hematocrit (HCT), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), mean arterial pressure (MAP), O2 saturation (O2sat), arterial pH, partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) and bicarbonate (HCO3), as well as 1-month survival rate |