Supplementary Data — Povidone-Iodine reduces COVID-19 risk: real-time meta-analysis of 21 studies

@CovidAnalysis, October 2026, Version 40V40 (V1 2021)

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October 2026

Povidone-iodine COVID-19 outcomes

StudyImprovementRR · 95% CIOutcomeTreatmentControlRelative Risk

Mohamed (RCT)86%0.14 · 0.01–2.21viral+0/53/5 Choudhury (RCT)88%0.12 · 0.03–0.50death2/30317/303 Choudhury (RCT)84%0.16 · 0.09–0.28hosp.12/30377/303 Choudhury (RCT)96%0.04 · 0.02–0.07viral+8/303213/303 Guenezan (RCT)63%0.37 · 0.06–1.63viral load12 (n)12 (n) Elzein (DB RCT)89%0.11 · 0.01–1.00viral load25 (n)9 (n)Short term viral Arefin (RCT)79%0.21 · 0.08–0.54viral+4/2719/27Short term viral Arefin (RCT)89%0.11 · 0.03–0.41viral+2/2719/27Short term viral Arefin (RCT)53%0.47 · 0.26–0.85viral+9/2719/27Short term viral Arefin (RCT)80%0.20 · 0.09–0.44viral+5/2725/27Short term viral Arefin (RCT)64%0.36 · 0.21–0.62viral+9/2725/27Short term viral Arefin (RCT)74%0.26 · 0.19–0.37viral+29/13544/54Short term viral Pablo-Marcos29%0.71 · 0.32–1.56viral load31 (n)40 (n) Pablo-Marcos9%0.91 · 0.20–4.16viral load31 (n)40 (n) Sulistyani (SB RCT)6%0.94 · 0.45–1.96viral load15 (n)15 (n) Sulistyani (SB RCT)11%0.89 · 0.42–1.88viral load15 (n)15 (n) Elsersy (DB RCT)91%0.09 · 0.01–1.62hosp.0/1005/100CT² Elsersy (DB RCT)15%0.85 · 0.76–0.96recov. time100 (n)100 (n)CT² Elsersy (DB RCT)49%0.51 · 0.42–0.62recov. time100 (n)100 (n)CT² Elsersy (DB RCT)48%0.52 · 0.43–0.63recov. time100 (n)100 (n)CT² Elsersy (DB RCT)68%0.32 · 0.22–0.49viral+21/10065/100CT² Elsersy (DB RCT)90%0.10 · 0.01–0.77viral+1/10010/100CT² Elsersy (DB RCT)29%0.71 · 0.62–0.81viral+70/10099/100CT² Elsersy (DB RCT)92%0.08 · 0.05–0.14transmission12/194173/227CT² Elsersy (DB RCT)94%0.06 · 0.03–0.12transmission8/194157/227CT² Sevinç Gül (RCT)99%0.01 · 0.00–439viral load21 (n)20 (n)Short term viral OT¹ Sevinç Gül (RCT)19%0.81 · 0.65–1.01viral+17/2120/20Short term viral OT¹ Natto (RCT)74%0.26 · 0.03–2.76viral load12 (n)12 (n)Short term viral OT¹ Natto (RCT)96%0.04 · 0.00–2.26viral load12 (n)12 (n)Short term viral OT¹ Natto (RCT)44%0.56 · 0.07–4.53viral load12 (n)12 (n)Short term viral OT¹ Sirijatuphat33%0.67 · 0.17–2.67viral load12 (n)12 (n)Short term viral Sirijatuphat88%0.12 · 0.02–0.94viral load12 (n)12 (n)Short term viral Sirijatuphat83%0.17 · 0.02–1.49viral load12 (n)12 (n)Short term viral Karaaltin (RCT)83%0.17 · 0.05–0.62viral load30 (n)30 (n) Karaaltin (RCT)86%0.14 · 0.05–0.46viral load30 (n)30 (n) Karaaltin (RCT)82%0.18 · 0.02–1.71viral load30 (n)30 (n) Karaaltin (RCT)91%0.09 · 0.03–0.30viral load30 (n)30 (n) Matsuyama (RCT)69%0.31 · 0.10–0.93viral+4/13913/140 Matsuyama (RCT)38%0.62 · 0.42–0.92viral+139 (n)140 (n) Friedland (DB RCT)60%0.40 · 0.18–0.93viral load10 (n)13 (n) Friedland (DB RCT)52%0.48 · 0.25–0.92viral load10 (n)13 (n) Sulistyani44%0.56 · 0.40–0.79viral load15 (n)15 (n) Seneviratne (RCT)33%0.67 · 0.50–0.91viral load4 (n)2 (n)Short term viral Zarabanda (RCT)−27%1.27 · 0.26–6.28no recov.3/132/11OT¹ Zarabanda (RCT)−50%1.50 · 0.31–7.30no recov.3/112/11OT¹ Zarabanda (RCT)0%1.00 · 0.19–5.24viral+2/72/7OT¹ Ferrer (RCT)34%0.66 · 0.02–18.95viral load9 (n)12 (n)Short term viral Ferrer (RCT)93%0.07 · 0.00–17.35viral load9 (n)9 (n)Short term viral Fantozzi (RCT)31%0.69 · 0.39–1.21viral+5/810/11Short term viral OT¹ Fantozzi (RCT)59%0.41 · 0.17–1.03viral+3/810/11Short term viral OT¹ Graves (DB RCT)85%0.15 · 0.00–454viral load16 (n)16 (n)Short term viral Graves (DB RCT)84%0.16 · 0.00–2203viral load16 (n)16 (n)Short term viral Graves (DB RCT)86%0.14 · 0.00–326214viral load16 (n)16 (n)Short term viral Seet (CLUS. RCT)45%0.55 · 0.38–0.80symp. case42/73564/619OT¹ Seet (CLUS. RCT)31%0.69 · 0.52–0.92cases338/735433/619OT¹

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¹ OT: comparison with other treatment

² CT: study uses combined treatment

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← Povidone-Iodine
reduces riskPovidone-Iodine
increases risk →

Fig. S1. All outcomes.

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Fig. S2. Comparison of results for RCTs versus observational studies. For COVID-19 treatments, there is no significant difference between the results of RCTs and observational studies. Observational studies do not systematically over or underestimate efficacy. For high-cost treatments, there is a non-significant trend towards RCTs showing greater efficacy.