Efficacy of high dose Vitamin C, melatonin and zinc in Iranian patients with acute respiratory syndrome due to coronavirus infection: A pilot randomized trial

Background: We aimed to investigate the efficacy of high-dose vitamin C, melatonin, and zinc in patients with severe Covid-19. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one adult patients were randomized 1:1 to standard care alone or standard care plus IV vitamin C (2 g, q6hr), oral melatonin (6 mg, q6hr), and oral zinc sulfate (50 mg, q6hr) for 10 days. Patients were monitored for changes in hypoxemia and inflammatory markers. Results: Both treatment modalities were effective to improve PaO2/FiO2 and oxygen saturation. However, there were no significant differences between the 2 study groups (P>0.05). There were reductions in CRP, ESR, and LDH levels in both study groups, although were not significant. No significant difference was noted in the length of ICU stay between the 2 study groups (P=0.3). Conclusion: Our study suggests that the addition of vitamin C, melatonin, and zinc to standard care is not associated with considerable improvement in patients with severe Covid-19.