New study sheds light on impact of fluvoxamine on COVID symptoms in certain cases

The University of Virginia’s School of Data Science is pleased to announce that a new research article from Thomas Stewart, an associate professor of data science, examining the COVID-19 treatment fluvoxamine has been published by JAMA Network, a journal sponsored by the American Medical Association. 

The study – which Stewart co-authored with physicians Paulina Rebolledo of Emory University and Ahmad Mourad of Duke University and the ACTIV-6 Study Group – examines whether 100 mg of fluvoxamine taken twice daily for 13 days by outpatient adults with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 can shorten the duration of symptoms. 

The researchers analyzed a randomized clinical trial of 1,175 participants in the United States who had COVID-19 while Omicron subvariants were circulating. They found that, when compared to a placebo group, 100 mg of fluvoxamine taken twice per day did not reduce how long patients with mild to moderate COVID experienced symptoms.

Prior to this study, the impact of a high dosage of fluvoxamine on symptom duration for these types of cases of COVID-19 had been uncertain. 

Stewart specializes in biostatistics, clinical trials, and clinical research education. He also serves as director of the Ph.D. program at the School of Data Science.