A study, posted Tuesday on medrxiz.org, has found that coronavirus patients who received hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) had a higher death rate than those who did not receive the drug.
Researchers examined COVID-19 patients at US Veterans Health Administration medical centers and found that those who took hydroxychloroquine were no less likely to require supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Virginia, was not peer-reviewed or published in a journal.
The researchers looked at 368 COVID-19 patients and found that 97 patients who took hydroxychloroquine had a 27.8% death rate, while the 158 patients who did not receive the drug had an 11.4% death rate.
The study authors wrote, “An association of increased overall mortality was identified in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone. These findings highlight the importance of awaiting the results of ongoing prospective, randomized, controlled studies before widespread adoption of these drugs.”
Researchers across the world have also been determining whether a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin (antibiotic) had an effect on COVID-19 patients or whether they needed to go on a ventilator.
“In this study, we found no evidence that the use of hydroxychloroquine, either with or without azithromycin, reduced the risk of mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalized with COVID-19,” the authors wrote.
Currently, there are no medications or vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat or prevent COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. However, trials have been undergoing for many drugs and vaccines.
Hydroxychloroquine is one of the old drugs used for the treatment and prevention of malaria. It is also advised for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
President Donald Trump has been touting hydroxychloroquine as a “game-changer” for effectively treating COVID-19, citing studies that have shown “very encouraging results.”
However, many experts, including NIAID head Dr. Anthony Fauci, have warned that there is no strong evidence to prove that the drug is the standard treatment for the new coronavirus. They said more studies are required to see whether the drug actually works and is safe.
A French study examined more than 180 COVID-19 patients with pneumonia who require supplemental oxygen. Half of the patients were given hydroxychloroquine, while the other half were not given the drug.
The researchers of the French study found that there was no significant difference in the death rates and ICU admissions of both the groups. However, they found that eight patients who received the drug experienced heart rhythm problems.
