COlchicine in Moderate-severe Hospitalized Patients Before ARDS to Treat COVID-19

The most prevalent complication of COVID-19 infection is respiratory failure from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the leading cause of mortality. There is increasing indication that the decompensation in severe COVD-19 infection may be due to a cytokine storm syndrome. This hyperinflammatory syndrome results in a fulminant and fatal hypercytokinemia and multiorgan failure. Approximately 15% of patients with COVID-19 infection are hospitalized and 20-30% of these hospitalized patients require ICU care and/or mechanical ventilation. Overall mortality in hospitalized patients is approximately 20-25%. There is significant interest in therapies that can be given upstream to reduce the rate of mechanical ventilation and thus mortality. We hypothesize that treatment with colchicine in COVID-19 moderate-severe patients may decrease the risk of progression into ARDS requiring increased oxygen requirements, mechanical ventilation, and mortality.