Tabatabaeizadeh, Zinc supplementation and COVID-19 mortality: a meta-analysis, , S., European Journal of Medical Research, doi:10.1186/s40001-022-00694-z
Meta analysis of five zinc treatment studies for COVID-19, showing significantly lower mortality.Currently there are 40 zinc studies and meta analysis shows:
Abstract: Tabatabaeizadeh
European Journal of Medical Research
(2022) 27:70
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-022-00694-z
European Journal
of Medical Research
Open Access
REVIEW
Zinc supplementation and COVID‑19
mortality: a meta‑analysis
Seyed‑Amir Tabatabaeizadeh*
Abstract
Background and aims: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the agent of a pneumonia
outbreak and was called 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). COVID-19 emerged in December 2019 and now
considered a pandemic. Zinc supplementation can reduce mortality in patients with severe pneumonia. This study
aimed at meta-analysis of the results of related studies and evaluate the effect of zinc supplementation on COVID-19
mortality.
Methods: A systematic search has conducted for manuscripts through PUBMED/Medline and Google Scholar
(Cochrane guideline has considered it as the gray literature) up to September 2021. This meta-analysis followed Pre‑
ferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) Guideline for evaluation of the effect zinc
supplementation on COVID-19 mortality. Based on the heterogeneity a fixed-effect or random-effect model, the OR
and 95% CI were used to assess the combined risk.
Results: After assessment, five studies with 1506 participants in case and control groups were included in meta-anal‑
ysis. The OR for one study was not estimable, and the pool OR was estimated for other studies with 1398 participants.
The meta-analysis showed that zinc supplementation in cases led to a significant lower risk of mortality when it was
compared with the control group; pooled OR (95% CI) was 0.57 [0.43, 0.77] (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: This meta-analysis has suggested that zinc supplementation is associated with a lower mortality rate in
COVID-19 patients. Zinc supplementation could be considered as a simple way and cost benefit approach for reduc‑
tion of mortality in COVID-19 patients.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Zinc, Mortality, Meta-analysis
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