1. Introduction
infection
INFECTION, VIRAL SHEDDING
SARS-CoV-2 infected more than 635 million people as of October 2022, from which 6.5 million people died [Antiviral prescription in the early phase of the infection can decrease the duration of viral shedding and the intensity of the immune response [Different antivirals have been studied to treat COVID-19, including Ivermectin, Remdesivir, Lopinavir, and Favipiravir [In most recent studies, Favipiravir was prescribed to hospitalized patients. Given the promising yet contradictory results of the therapeutic effect of Favipiravir on COVID-19, we decided to evaluate the efficacy of Favipiravir in the prevention of the hospitalization of symptomatic mild to moderate COVID-19 patients, with no criteria for hospitalization, in outpatient settings.