Scarsi M, Piantoni S, Colombo E, et al. - As colchicine has well-recognized anti-inflammatory effects and potential antiviral properties, researchers here examined the effects of colchicine in patients with COVID-19, and compared the effects with those of ‘standard-of-care’ (SoC). In the public hospital of Esine, northern Italy, 140 consecutive inpatients, with virologically and radiographically confirmed COVID-19, received treatment with ‘SoC’ (hydroxychloroquine and/or intravenous dexamethasone; and/or lopinavir/ritonavir) and were compared with 122 consecutive inpatients treated with colchicine (1 mg/day) and SoC (antiviral drugs were stopped before colchicine, due to potential interaction). A better survival rate was reported for patients treated with colchicine vs with SoC at 21 days of follow-up. This proof-of-concept study may support the rationale of using colchicine for the management of COVID-19.