Tocilizumab
Tocilizumab was used according to the recommendation for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The first dose was 4-8 mg/kg (recommended 400mg) and added to 100 ml 0.9% normal saline (intravenous infusion time should be more than 1 hour). For patients with fever, if there was still fever within 24 hours after the first used, it should be used once more (the dose was the same as before).
Favipiravir
1600 mg, twice a day on the first day, and 600 mg, twice a day from the second day to the seventh day, orally. After seven days of treatment with favipiravir, the researchers decide whether to continue to take favipiravir according to the specific conditions of the subjects.
Physicians were allowed to use any necessary treatment and laboratory test with their standard of care.
COVID-19 (hospitalized or not)
Laboratory-confirmed cases according to Chinese guidelines of COVID-19, male or female more than18 years old, increased interleukin-6 and sign the informed consent.
Open-label.
Multicenter, 4 hospitals in China.
3 arms: favipiravir, tocilizumab, and favipiravir plus tocilizumab (combination group). In the trial register, primary endpoint was clinical cure rate at 3 months. Definition of clinical cure: the viral load of the respiratory specimen was negative for two consecutive times (the interval between the two tests was greater than or equal to one day), the lung image improved, and the body temperature returned to normal for more than 3 days, and the clinical manifestation improved.