Efficacy of Thiamine (Vitamin B1) on Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome: An Open-Label, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Background: Thiamine (vitamin B1) has the potential to influence the severity of various diseases by enhancing immune function. However, its role in the manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains inadequately understood. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of thiamine in alleviating symptoms of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Methods: In this open-label, randomized, controlled trial, 66 recovered COVID-19 patients experiencing post-acute COVID-19 syndrome were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: An intervention group receiving vitamin B1 alongside supportive therapy and a control group receiving supportive therapy alone. Symptom frequency and severity were monitored weekly over a nine-week period as study outcomes. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: The mean age of participants was 49.35 ± 13.83 years. Findings showed that vitamin B1 administration significantly shortened the duration for symptom improvement compared to the control group, with effects observed within two weeks (P 0.0001). Unlike the control group, many symptoms—including myalgia, anosmia, ageusia, fatigue, and sleep disturbances—showed improvement after five weeks of vitamin B1 supplementation (P 0.05). From the seventh week onwards, the recovery rate in the vitamin B1 group was twice that of the control group. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that vitamin B1 administration can significantly reduce the duration of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. For post-acute COVID-19 patients, vitamin B1 supplementation along with appropriate supportive therapy is recommended to enhance recovery rates.