# Clinical Evolution of a Cohort of Patients with COVID-19 Treated with Usual Medical Care Plus Polymerized Type I Collagen During the Pandemic Emergency

## TL;DR

This study found that adding polymerized type I collagen to standard care improved outcomes for patients with COVID-19, including better oxygen levels and survival rates.

## Contribution

The study is the first to evaluate polymerized type I collagen as an adjuvant therapy for outpatient COVID-19 treatment during a pandemic.

## Key findings

- Patients treated with PTIC showed significantly improved oxygen saturation levels.
- PTIC reduced the need for supplemental oxygen and improved survival rates compared to standard care.
- No deaths occurred in the PTIC group, while 20% of the untreated group died.

## Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for safe and accessible outpatient treatments. Polymerized type I collagen (PTIC) has demonstrated potential immunomodulatory effects, but its clinical utility in patients with COVID-19 remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical evolution and health outcomes of a cohort of patients with COVID-19 treated with standard medical care plus PTIC during the pandemic emergency, in order to explore its potential role as an adjuvant therapy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 46 outpatients with confirmed COVID-19 treated with PTIC (Fibroquel®) plus standard care, and 15 controls with standard care alone. Clinical and laboratory data were collected on Days 1 and 10. Patients were stratified by COVID-19 severity and SARS-CoV-2 variant. Analyses included odds ratios and Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Results: Oxygen saturation levels increased significantly from 88.5 ± 5.22 to 95.1 ± 2.07 after PTIC treatment. Supplemental oxygen was required for 26.1% of patients receiving treatment, compared to 60% of those in the untreated group (p < 0.05). Complete recovery was observed in all patients treated with PTIC, compared with 80% recovery in the standard care group. There were no deaths from COVID-19 in the PTIC group. In contrast, 20% of the participants in the untreated group died due to complications from the disease (p = 0.013). PTIC improved the survival rate of patients with the disease. Conclusions: PTIC significantly improved clinical parameters in patients with COVID-19. It improves oxygen saturation levels, decreases the need for supplemental oxygen, and improves survival compared to patients who are not treated with PTIC. Additional studies are needed to validate the use of PTIC as an adjunctive therapy for patients with COVID-19.