Rapid review on the use of oral fatty acid supplements in the prevention or as adjunct treatment of COVID-19

Abstract

KEY FINDINGS

There is lack of clinical evidence supporting the role of oral fatty acid supplements as prevention and adjunctive

therapy for COVID-19.

• Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) mediate inflammation and adaptive immune responses. Omega-3

fatty acids promote anti?inflammatory effects and reduce influenza virus replication.

• No clinical evidence supporting the use of oral fatty acid supplements as prevention and adjunctive therapy of

COVID-19 was found.

• We found indirect evidence from one systematic review on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and two

longitudinal cohort studies on community-acquired pneumonia that showed non-significant and inconsistent

results.

• The most common known side effects of omega-3-fatty acids are gastrointestinal in nature. They may also cause

allergy and affect blood clotting if taken with other medications that affect clotting.

• There are 2 ongoing clinical trials on eicosapentaenoic fatty acids as an adjunctive therapy to standard oral

nutrition supplements or standard of care in COVID-19 patients.

• WHO Interim guidelines, CDC interim guidelines, Infectious Diseases Society of America COVID-19 treatment

guidelines, and the American Thoracic Society did not give any recommendation on the use of nutritional

supplements in patients with COVID-19.