Evaluation of the Relationship Between Favipiravir Use and Telogen Effluvium in COVID-19 Patients

May 2023 in “ Journal of contemporary medicine ”

Hanife Merve Akca, Zuhal Metin, Işıl Göğem İmren, Kevser Tuncer Kara

Favipiravir Telogen Effluvium hair loss COVID-19 positive pull test alopecia FVP TE

TLDR Using Favipiravir, a COVID-19 treatment drug, likely doesn't cause hair loss.

The study investigated the link between Favipiravir (FVP), a COVID-19 treatment drug, and Telogen Effluvium (TE), a common type of hair loss. It included patients aged 18-65 who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past year and were experiencing hair loss. The results showed that the majority of FVP users were women (p = 0.027), and the rate of positive pull tests, used to diagnose TE, was significantly higher among those who did not use FVP (p = 0.026). This suggests that FVP may not influence the development of TE. This is the first study to explore the effect of FVP on alopecia and TE.

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