Evaluation of the preventive efficacy of recombinant interferon α-2b in ambulance personnel contacting with COVID-19 patients
Authors:   Kemerovo State Medical University, Kemerovo, Russian Federation, Vavilova V.P. , Vavilov A.M. ,   Kemerovo State Medical University, Kemerovo, Russian Federation, Perevoshchikova N.K. ,   Kemerovo State Medical University, Kemerovo, Russian Federation, Tsarkova S.A. ,   Ural State Medical University, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation
Published: March 2021

Against the background of the unfavorable situation with COVID-19, the problem of sufficient medical personnel protection when delivering professional medical care in epidemiological foci remains relevant these days. Medical personnel who are in constant contact with COVID-19 patients are subjected to a strong viral load and are at risk of infection development. In this regard, adequate disease preventive measures, in addition to personal protective equipment (PPE), should include the prescription of medications with pronounced antiviral and immunomodulatory activity. Objective. Evaluation of the preventive efficacy of the combined use of VIFERON®, rectal suppositories 1 000 000 IU together with VIFERON®, ointment 40 000 IU/g or gel 36 000 IU/g in ambulance personnel contacting with COVID-19 patients. Patients and methods. Patient groups were as follows: the first main group – 100 people used personal protective equipment (PPE) and VIFERON®, rectal suppositories (IFN a-2b) 1 000 000 IU before each work shift (10 shifts) + intranasal ointment or gel IFN a-2b during one month; the second control group – 50 people (for the prevention of SARS, PPE is used). The assessment of the content of sIgA in the nasal secretion was carried out by the method of radial immunodiffusion according to Mancini G. (1965), the study of lysozyme activity – according to the method of Dorofeychuk V.G. (1968). Determination of reactive and personal anxiety was carried out according to Spielberger–Hanin (Spielberger Ch.D., 1973; Hanin Yu.L., 1976), depression was determined according to the Zung Scale (Zung W., 1965). Statistical analysis of the results was conducted using the STATISTICA v. 12.0 software package (StatSoft Inc, USA). Results. The research studied the preventive efficacy of the combined use of recombinant interferon α-2b with antioxidants (VIFERON®), rectal suppositories, ointment and gel in medical forms in different dosages for medical workers contacting with COVID-19 patients. The studies included observation of humoral immunity indicator factors and nonspecific resistance – secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and lysozyme. In addition, a complex of studies to determine the degree of psycho-emotional disorders in medical personnel contacting with patients suffering from COVID-19 was conducted. The conducted research proved the high efficiency and safety of the use of combined dosages forms of VIFERON® as a preventive measure for medical workers who are at high risk of infection with COVID-19: a significant increase in local immunity indicators, absence of severe complications in confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and improvement of the psycho-emotional status of medical staff were shown. Conclusions. IFN a-2b in the main group has contributed to a significant decrease in the number of acute respiratory viral infections, including those caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Only one employee in the main group has undergone SARS of COVID etiology. IFN a-2b provides a protection against the development of a complicated course of the disease. Pneumonia of COVID etiology has developed in 2 medical workers in the control group. There has been a significant increase in the indicators of local immunity of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract – lysozyme and sIgA against the background of IFN a-2b. In the main group, the psychological state of medical workers has improved; situational and personal anxiety has decreased. The combined administration of VIFERON® (ointment or gel + rectal suppositories) may be recommended for widespread use among medical personnel contacting with COVID-19 patients. Key words: depression, interferon-α2b with antioxidants, interferon therapy, lysozyme, medical personnel, local immunity, psycho-emotional status, anxiety, prevention, epidemiology, COVID-19, sIgA