2.2. Procedure
nirmatrelvir
EVENTS DURING HOSPITALIZATION, EVENTS, ORF
Demographic variables such as sex, age, height, weight, first symptoms at onset, diagnosis time, and nucleic acid Ct value were collected. All patients received the basic treatment based on the Chinese “Diagnosis and Treatment Guide for COVID-19 (Version 9).” The patients in the Paxlovid group received 300 mg of nirmatrelvir and 100 mg of ritonavir orally, twice a day for 5 consecutive days, while those in the control group received standard treatment for COVID-19.After enrolment, patients were required to test nucleic acid daily, and nucleic acid results and clinical symptoms were recorded. The discharge criteria for patients with standard treatment were: at least 3 consecutive days of normal body temperature; obvious improvement in respiratory symptoms and pulmonary imaging; 2 consecutive nucleic acid tests for the N gene and ORF gene Ct values of the SARS-CoV-2 were ≥ 35, or 2 consecutive nucleic acid tests were negative, with a sampling interval of at least 24 hours. Patients in the Paxlovid group were required to collect nucleic acid continuously for at least 7 days and meet the above discharge criteria before being discharged. Three months after discharge, a follow-up survey by telephone questionnaire was conducted to investigate whether the 2 groups of patients had post-COVID-19 condition related to COVID-19 after nucleic acid turned negative upon discharge. Specific symptom manifestations and the duration of symptoms were recorded. In addition, based on the nucleic acid test results, the researchers observed whether patients in the Paxlovid group experienced the rebound results of the nucleic acid test after turning negative during hospitalization. Adverse events during hospitalization, including unforeseeable medical events that occur when patients receive medication, were also recorded. In addition to the observation of the treatment effect in the acute phase, a telephone follow-up study was also conducted 3 months after the patient was discharged from hospital to observe post-COVID-19 condition.