US Has Almost 30 Times More COVID-19 Deaths per Population than Third-World Countries that Promoted Early Hydroxychloroquine Use

[SmokeALib]

We are all responsible for keeping ourselves healthy. Unless you're a leftist. They need the government for that - and everything else.

 

[debbiedowner]

Democrats banned it because president Trump had suggested the medicine.

While president Trump saved millions, they killed thousands, right in line with sending sick elderly to the elderly homes to kill people.

FDA banned it, Trump administration.

FDA approved it, years ago.

Democrats banned it all over.

Yeah, funny how there was no talk about the dangers of HCQ(for decades) before Trump mentioned it.

Yeah, you're right not until there was trump appointee heading up the FDA.

Oh, so it hasn’t been used for years for malaria, or lupus or rheumatoid arthritis?

Yes it was it was banned by the FDA for Covid use, Jesus Christ you're as fucking dumb as the OP.

 

[Norman]

Democrats are evil people, willing to murder for political gain. Banning a potentially beneficial drug because Orange Man Bad.

If they think Americans are so dumb to fall in for the lie that this is Trump's doing while they are caught red handed, they are in for a surprise.

 

[depotoo]

And its use with z pac and zinc are still ongoing by physicians, whether the fda pulled emergency use or not.

 

[depotoo]

Democrats banned it because president Trump had suggested the medicine.

While president Trump saved millions, they killed thousands, right in line with sending sick elderly to the elderly homes to kill people.

FDA banned it, Trump administration.

FDA approved it, years ago.

Democrats banned it all over.

Yeah, funny how there was no talk about the dangers of HCQ(for decades) before Trump mentioned it.

Yeah, you're right not until there was trump appointee heading up the FDA.

Oh, so it hasn’t been used for years for malaria, or lupus or rheumatoid arthritis?

Yes it was it was banned by the FDA for Covid use, Jesus Christ you're as fucking dumb as the OP.

Are you stating no drugs are ever used off label?
And no, it is not banned. From their own directive-
Of note, FDA approved products may be prescribed by physicians for off-label uses if they determine it is appropriate for treating their patients, including during COVID.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Revokes Emergency Use Authorization for Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine

COVID-19 Update: FDA Revokes Emergency Use Authorization

www.fda.gov

Now who looks dumb?

 

[Billy_Bob]

22222

Democrats banned it because president Trump had suggested the medicine.

While president Trump saved millions, they killed thousands, right in line with sending sick elderly to the elderly homes to kill people.

FDA banned it, Trump administration.

Wrong Again!

Left wing bureacrats in the FDA banned it. With Fauci's help The emergency declaration was removed because it was costing the big farma billions in revenue.

 

[depotoo]

22222

Democrats banned it because president Trump had suggested the medicine.

While president Trump saved millions, they killed thousands, right in line with sending sick elderly to the elderly homes to kill people.

FDA banned it, Trump administration.

Wrong Again!

Left wing bureacrats in the FDA banned it. With Fauci's help The emergency declaration was removed because it was costing the big farma billions in revenue.

And it’s not even an actual ban. It just looked good for their compatriots to try to claim such.

 

[ReinyDays]

On a related note ... malaria deaths have quintipled in these countries ...

 

[depotoo]

On a related note ... malaria deaths have quintipled in these countries ...

Bull! And its use has been ongoing for 60 years.

Malaria

<p><p></p><p>Malaria transmission occurs in 84 countries across five WHO regions. Since 2015, the WHO European Region has been free of malaria.</p>According to the <div class="button button-dark-border"><a...

www.who.int

 

[mascale]

The relative number of cases pops up, since the EUA had to be revoked due to the lethal and potentially lethal side effects.
_______________________
Additionally, in light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other potential serious side effects, the known and potential benefits of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine no longer outweigh the known and potential risks for the authorized use. This is the statutory standard for issuance of an EUA.
________________

"Crow, James Crow: Shaken, Not Stirred!
(Even Deut 23: 19-20, is not about foreign aid!)

 

[DBA]

The relative number of cases pops up, since the EUA had to be revoked due to the lethal and potentially lethal side effects.
_______________________
Additionally, in light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other potential serious side effects, the known and potential benefits of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine no longer outweigh the known and potential risks for the authorized use. This is the statutory standard for issuance of an EUA.
________________

"Crow, James Crow: Shaken, Not Stirred!
(Even Deut 23: 19-20, is not about foreign aid!)

So they now think the risks of using HCL are too high for treating COVID patients after decades of previous use for RA. LOL..this makes me laugh. This is a complete and utter joke.

 

[Crepitus]

The Dims blame Trump for the virus, but who is really responsible for people dying?

JAIL FAUCI: US Has Almost 30 Times More COVID-19 Deaths per Population than Third-World Countries that Promoted Early HCQ Use​

The liberal mainstream media can’t hide this truth from the public forever.​

​

The latest international testing of hydroxychloroquine treatment of coronavirus shows countries that had early use of the drug had a 79% lower mortality rate than countries that banned the use of the safe malaria drug.​

​

This means that Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, the CDC, the liberal fake news media and the tech giants have been pushing a lie that has had deadly consequences!​

​

America has lost (reportedly) over 150,000 lives.​

​

That could have been lowered by possibly 80% if HCQ use would have been promoted in the US!​

​

We are talking over 100,000 American lives could have been saved!​

​

​

Fake news from the gateway pundit.

Why do you kids keep calling for their crap?

 

[DBA]

The Dims blame Trump for the virus, but who is really responsible for people dying?

JAIL FAUCI: US Has Almost 30 Times More COVID-19 Deaths per Population than Third-World Countries that Promoted Early HCQ Use​

The liberal mainstream media can’t hide this truth from the public forever.​

​

The latest international testing of hydroxychloroquine treatment of coronavirus shows countries that had early use of the drug had a 79% lower mortality rate than countries that banned the use of the safe malaria drug.​

​

This means that Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, the CDC, the liberal fake news media and the tech giants have been pushing a lie that has had deadly consequences!​

​

America has lost (reportedly) over 150,000 lives.​

​

That could have been lowered by possibly 80% if HCQ use would have been promoted in the US!​

​

We are talking over 100,000 American lives could have been saved!​

​

​

Takes news from the gateway pundit.

Why do you kids keep calling for their crap?

Do you still believe that HCL is dangerous? If so, I have some beachfront property in Nebraska for sale.

 

[depotoo]

The relative number of cases pops up, since the EUA had to be revoked due to the lethal and potentially lethal side effects.
_______________________
Additionally, in light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other potential serious side effects, the known and potential benefits of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine no longer outweigh the known and potential risks for the authorized use. This is the statutory standard for issuance of an EUA.
________________

"Crow, James Crow: Shaken, Not Stirred!
(Even Deut 23: 19-20, is not about foreign aid!)

Yet they stated it can still be used. Imagine that!

 

[depotoo]

The Dims blame Trump for the virus, but who is really responsible for people dying?

JAIL FAUCI: US Has Almost 30 Times More COVID-19 Deaths per Population than Third-World Countries that Promoted Early HCQ Use​

The liberal mainstream media can’t hide this truth from the public forever.​

​

The latest international testing of hydroxychloroquine treatment of coronavirus shows countries that had early use of the drug had a 79% lower mortality rate than countries that banned the use of the safe malaria drug.​

​

This means that Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, the CDC, the liberal fake news media and the tech giants have been pushing a lie that has had deadly consequences!​

​

America has lost (reportedly) over 150,000 lives.​

​

That could have been lowered by possibly 80% if HCQ use would have been promoted in the US!​

​

We are talking over 100,000 American lives could have been saved!​

​

​

Takes news from the gateway pundit.

Why do you kids keep calling for their crap?

Honey, no.

Countries using hydroxychloroquine have low coronavirus fatality rate compared to countries that donât, Association of American Physicians and Surgeons says - TechStartups

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is a non-partisan and non-profit professional association of physicians founded in 1944. According to the information on its website, AAPS has been dedicated to the highest ethical standards of the Oath of Hippocrates and to preserving...

techstartups.com

 

[Crepitus]

The Dims blame Trump for the virus, but who is really responsible for people dying?

JAIL FAUCI: US Has Almost 30 Times More COVID-19 Deaths per Population than Third-World Countries that Promoted Early HCQ Use​

The liberal mainstream media can’t hide this truth from the public forever.​

​

The latest international testing of hydroxychloroquine treatment of coronavirus shows countries that had early use of the drug had a 79% lower mortality rate than countries that banned the use of the safe malaria drug.​

​

This means that Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, the CDC, the liberal fake news media and the tech giants have been pushing a lie that has had deadly consequences!​

​

America has lost (reportedly) over 150,000 lives.​

​

That could have been lowered by possibly 80% if HCQ use would have been promoted in the US!​

​

We are talking over 100,000 American lives could have been saved!​

​

​

Takes news from the gateway pundit.

Why do you kids keep calling for their crap?

Do you still believe that HCL is dangerous? If so, I have some beachfront property in Nebraska for sale.

You still believe it's safe? No wonder you own beachfront property in Nebraska.

 

[Crepitus]

FDA says it doesn't work, you say Democrats made them do it. Did the Democrats also make NIH, WHO, and other organizations?

Here's a few studies, some positive, some negative. Turns out to be issues with almost all the positive ones.

Studies with positive results
Study 1 – March 16, 2020
Researchers from China reported in a letter that over 100 people with COVID-19 have been treated with chloroquine. These patients had less severe disease and a shorter illness duration compared to those who did not receive chloroquine. However, results from these studies are not yet available, nor do we have a lot of information about the type of people who received this drug, or what dose they took and for how long.

Study 2 – March 20, 2020 (peer-reviewed but under further investigation)
A small study in France reported that people who got 600 mg of hydroxychloroquine had a lower amount of the virus (viral load) in the body. The problem with this study is that comparisons were made between patients at different hospitals. This makes it difficult to know if improvements were because of hydroxychloroquine or other things. And, of the 26 people who initially got hydroxychloroquine, 6 people (23%) had to stop treatment because of nausea, worsening disease, leaving the hospital, or death.

Six people in this study also received azithromycin (a common antibiotic) with hydroxychloroquine. These individuals had even lower viral loads at the end of the study compared to those who only got hydroxychloroquine. This research group later released another article looking more into hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin in a study of 80 people (including the 6 above). They noted that 93% had cleared the virus after 8 days. Because this study did not have a control group, it is unclear whether people who did not receive these medications would have seen similar results. Research with more people is needed to help us understand whether improvements were because of the combination of medications or other factors.

More information on safety is also important because taking azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine together can increase the risk of serious side effects, particularly irregular heart rhythm.

Study 3 – March 31, 2020
A small, randomized study of 62 people in Wuhan, China looked at how well hydroxychloroquine worked for hospitalized patients with mild COVID-19. Cough and fever improved about 1 day earlier for those who got 400 mg of hydroxychloroquine for 5 days compared to those who did not get any. Additionally, pneumonia improved in 25 of 31 patients who received hydroxychloroquine (compared to 17 of 31 in the group who didn’t).

Study 4 – July 1, 2020 (International Journal of Infectious Diseases)
A retrospective study from the Henry Ford Health System looked at hospital records for 2,541 patients with COVID-19 in Michigan to see whether hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin helped. The researchers divided them into four groups based on what medications they got:

1. Hydroxychloroquine
2. Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin
3. Azithromycin
4. Neither

The hydroxychloroquine group had the lowest death rate (13.5%) while those who did not get either medication had the highest death rate (26.4%).

A large flaw in this study is that 77% of patients who got hydroxychloroquine also got a steroid, while only 37% of those who didn’t get hydroxychloroquine got a steroid. Another study has suggested that steroids may be beneficial in treating COVID-19 in certain patients, so it’s hard to say if hydroxychloroquine was the reason for the lower death rate. In contrast, results from Study 15 below showed that hydroxychloroquine didn’t affect death rates.

Studies with negative results
Study 5 – March 24, 2020
In a small Shanghai study of 30 people with COVID-19, half got 400 mg of hydroxychloroquine for 5 days while the other half did not. At the end of the study, 13 people (87%) who received hydroxychloroquine tested negative for COVID-19 compared to 14 people (93%) who also tested negative but did not receive the medication. This suggests that hydroxychloroquine did not make a difference in recovery.

Study 6 – March 30, 2020
Another small study in France wanted to verify the results of Study 2 above, so they gave 11 people the same combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. After 6 days, 8 of 10 patients were still positive for SARS-CoV-2 (1 person could not be tested due to death). In addition to the death, two people were transferred to the ICU and one had to stop treatment due to side effects. This study was short and, like another study above, did not have a control group to compare patients to.

Study 7 – April 14, 2020
In a study of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 150 people were randomly assigned to either receive high doses of hydroxychloroquine (1,200 mg for 3 days, then 800 mg for 2-3 weeks) or not. At the end of the study, 85% of the patients who got hydroxychloroquine tested negative for the novel coronavirus compared to 81% who did not get the medication. The typical time it took for people to clear the virus and see improvements in symptoms was also similar between groups. About 30% reported side effects, though they were mostly mild.

Study 8 – April 21, 2020
A retrospective study looked at veterans affairs (VA) hospitals across the U.S. and identified 368 male veterans who were hospitalized with COVID-19. The veterans were grouped based on whether they had received (1) hydroxychloroquine, (2) hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, or (3) no hydroxychloroquine.

Death rates were highest in the group that received hydroxychloroquine alone (28%), followed by the group that received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin (22%). The group that did not receive hydroxychloroquine had the lowest death rate (11%).

One thing to note is that people who had more severe symptoms, which might partially explain the higher death rates, were also more likely to get medications. People in this study were over 65 years old (on average) and male, which makes it difficult to apply the results to everyone.

Study 9 – May 7, 2020 (New England Journal of Medicine)
In a large observational study of 1,376 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in New York City, 811 people (59%) received hydroxychloroquine. There was minimal difference in the risk of needing a breathing tube (intubation) or death between those who didn’t get hydroxychloroquine and those who did. Because this study was observational (meaning the researchers only looked at the end results and were not involved with treatment), it is possible that other factors (confounders) may have affected the findings. Regardless, the researchers concluded that their study does not support the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19.

Study 10 – May 11, 2020 (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Another large observational study of 1,438 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in New York state also did not see a difference in death rates between those who got hydroxychloroquine (with or without azithromycin) compared to those who did not. Again, because this was an observational study, other factors that were not measured could have also affected the results. Overall, hydroxychloroquine did not show a benefit in this study.

Studies 11 and 12 – May 14, 2020 (British Medical Journal)
Two unrelated studies, both published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), concluded that hydroxychloroquine was not helpful in treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The first was a retrospective study done in France that looked at 181 patients who required oxygen in the hospital but were not in the ICU (intensive care unit). At 21 days after admission, 89% of people who got hydroxychloroquine were still alive and 82% no longer needed extra oxygen. It was about the same in the group who didn’t get hydroxychloroquine (91% were still alive at 21 days and 76% no longer needed oxygen).

The second study was completed in China. One hundred fifty hospitalized patients were randomly assigned to either get hydroxychloroquine or not in an open-label study (meaning the doctors and patients knew who was getting hydroxychloroquine). Comparing those who got the medication to those who didn’t, 71% versus 75% tested negative for coronavirus by day 28, respectively. About half of the patients in this study also received an antiviral medication, which can make the results a bit tricky to interpret.

Study 13 – May 22, 2020 (The Lancet — retracted by the authors because the full database of patients could not be verified)
A large study looked at a database of 96,032 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across 6 countries. They reported that those who got hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine (with or without an antibiotic) had a higher death rate than those who did not. This study has since been retracted by the authors (who were not involved with the data collection process) because the company who originally supplied the data would not grant independent reviewers access to the database due to prior confidentiality agreements.

Study 14 – June 3, 2020 (New England Journal of Medicine)
A randomized, controlled study in the U.S. and Canada tested hydroxychloroquine’s ability to prevent infection. The researchers looked at what happened when people were in close contact (with or without a face mask) with someone with COVID-19 for more than 10 minutes. This study was double-blinded, meaning that both the study participants and researchers did not know which participants received hydroxychloroquine or a placebo (vitamin tablet).

There were 821 people in the study: 12% who got hydroxychloroquine had symptoms of COVID-19 or tested positive within 14 days compared to 14% of those who got a placebo. This difference was not statistically significant, meaning hydroxychloroquine (taken within 4 days after COVID-19 exposure) did not prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Study 15 – June 5, 2020
RECOVERY is a randomized clinical trial from the UK that looked at hydroxychloroquine use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Patients were randomly assigned to either get hydroxychloroquine (1,542 patients) or usual care (3,132 patients). At 28 days, the death rate was 26% in the group that got hydroxychloroquine compared to 24% in the group that did not get the medication. This difference was not statistically significant (meaning it could have happened by chance). The researchers also looked at other measures of health, such as length of hospital stay, but didn’t find any other differences. They concluded overall that hydroxychloroquine did not provide any benefit for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Results were shared in a recent press release, and full results from the study are expected to be published shortly.

Study 16 – July 16, 2020 (Annals of Internal Medicine)
This randomized study looked at whether or not hydroxychloroquine was helpful for adults with COVID-19 who were not hospitalized. They looked at symptom severity on a 10-point scale over 14 days. The group that got hydroxychloroquine saw an improvement of 2.6 points compared to 2.3 points in the group that did not get hydroxychloroquine. This difference was not statistically significant, meaning hydroxychloroquine was not effective in reducing the severity of symptoms.

This study had a few limitations — the biggest one being that not all study participants had a confirmed COVID-19 test due to testing shortages, though they were included based on exposure risk and symptoms.

Study 17 – July 23, 2020 (New England Journal of Medicine)
In a randomized, open-label study, 504 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Brazil received either hydroxychloroquine, hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin, or neither medications. (An open-label study means that the doctors and patients knew which treatment they were getting.) Researchers assessed the patients on day 15 using a 7-point scale. There was no difference in scores between the 3 groups, suggesting that hydroxychloroquine did not help patients improve.

One thing the researchers noted was that patients usually received treatment within 7 days after having symptoms, though some patients didn’t get treatment until 14 days. It’s possible that starting treatment earlier would lead to different results, but that cannot be determined from this study.


Are hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine safe?
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are generally considered safe when taken for conditions that they have been approved for. If you currently take either of these for malaria or autoimmune conditions, you should continue taking them according to your doctor’s instructions. As with any medications, there are risks and benefits. Both hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can cause side effects, but in these cases, the benefits outweigh the risk.

On April 24, 2020, the FDA issued a warning stating that using hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of a hospital setting can put people at risk of serious heart rhythm problems, particularly QT prolongation. This is a well-known side effect of these medications. Because there is still a lot we don’t know about COVID-19, it is unclear if COVID-19 itself increases this risk.

Taking hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine with other medications that can also cause QT prolongation, like azithromycin, can further increase this risk. Prior to the FDA’s warning, several cardiology groups, including the American Heart Association, had issued a joint statement cautioning about the risks of taking these medications together.

On June 15, 2020, the FDA issued another warning that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine may interact with remdesivir, another medication being tested as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Taking the medications together may make remdesivir less effective.

Can hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine prevent or cure COVID-19?
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are not FDA-approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. Furthermore, the FDA has revoked their Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, stating that it was no longer reasonable to believe that these medications were effective in treating COVID-19. The WHO and NIH have also decided to stop their hydroxychloroquine studies because the medication did not provide any benefit for patients with COVID-19 nor did it reduce COVID-19 deaths in several studies.

Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not yet been shown to prevent COVID-19 either in a community or hospital setting. In the studies cited above (except for Study #16), patients received these medications in the hospital only after they were confirmed to have COVID-19. Additional data is needed to better understand the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for COVID-19 prevention.

Many clinical studies are currently underway to find a treatment for COVID-19, and the FDA is working with various government agencies, academic centers, and biopharmaceutical companies to expedite the process.

https://www.goodrx.com/blog/coronavirus-medicine-chloroquine-hydroxychloroquine-as-covid19-treatment/

 

[mascale]

There is no ringing endorsement about using the malaria drug for the virus.
___________________
The FDA has a responsibility to regularly review the appropriateness of an EUA, and as such, the agency will review emerging information associated with the emergency uses for the authorized products. Recent results from a large randomized clinical trial in hospitalized patients, a population similar to the population for which chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were authorized for emergency use, demonstrated that hydroxychloroquine showed no benefit on mortality or in speeding recovery. This outcome was consistent with other new data, including data showing that the suggested dosing regimens for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are unlikely to kill or inhibit the virus that causes COVID-19. The totality of scientific evidence currently available indicate a lack of benefit.
______________

"Crow, James Crow: Shaken, Not Stirred!"
(Even Deut 23: 19-20, is not about foreign aid!)

 

[depotoo]

FDA says it doesn't work, you say Democrats made them do it. Did the Democrats also make NIH, WHO, and other organizations?

Here's a few studies, some positive, some negative. Turns out to be issues with almost all the positive ones.

Studies with positive results
Study 1 – March 16, 2020
Researchers from China reported in a letter that over 100 people with COVID-19 have been treated with chloroquine. These patients had less severe disease and a shorter illness duration compared to those who did not receive chloroquine. However, results from these studies are not yet available, nor do we have a lot of information about the type of people who received this drug, or what dose they took and for how long.

Study 2 – March 20, 2020 (peer-reviewed but under further investigation)
A small study in France reported that people who got 600 mg of hydroxychloroquine had a lower amount of the virus (viral load) in the body. The problem with this study is that comparisons were made between patients at different hospitals. This makes it difficult to know if improvements were because of hydroxychloroquine or other things. And, of the 26 people who initially got hydroxychloroquine, 6 people (23%) had to stop treatment because of nausea, worsening disease, leaving the hospital, or death.

Six people in this study also received azithromycin (a common antibiotic) with hydroxychloroquine. These individuals had even lower viral loads at the end of the study compared to those who only got hydroxychloroquine. This research group later released another article looking more into hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin in a study of 80 people (including the 6 above). They noted that 93% had cleared the virus after 8 days. Because this study did not have a control group, it is unclear whether people who did not receive these medications would have seen similar results. Research with more people is needed to help us understand whether improvements were because of the combination of medications or other factors.

More information on safety is also important because taking azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine together can increase the risk of serious side effects, particularly irregular heart rhythm.

Study 3 – March 31, 2020
A small, randomized study of 62 people in Wuhan, China looked at how well hydroxychloroquine worked for hospitalized patients with mild COVID-19. Cough and fever improved about 1 day earlier for those who got 400 mg of hydroxychloroquine for 5 days compared to those who did not get any. Additionally, pneumonia improved in 25 of 31 patients who received hydroxychloroquine (compared to 17 of 31 in the group who didn’t).

Study 4 – July 1, 2020 (International Journal of Infectious Diseases)
A retrospective study from the Henry Ford Health System looked at hospital records for 2,541 patients with COVID-19 in Michigan to see whether hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin helped. The researchers divided them into four groups based on what medications they got:

1. Hydroxychloroquine
2. Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin
3. Azithromycin
4. Neither

The hydroxychloroquine group had the lowest death rate (13.5%) while those who did not get either medication had the highest death rate (26.4%).

A large flaw in this study is that 77% of patients who got hydroxychloroquine also got a steroid, while only 37% of those who didn’t get hydroxychloroquine got a steroid. Another study has suggested that steroids may be beneficial in treating COVID-19 in certain patients, so it’s hard to say if hydroxychloroquine was the reason for the lower death rate. In contrast, results from Study 15 below showed that hydroxychloroquine didn’t affect death rates.

Studies with negative results
Study 5 – March 24, 2020
In a small Shanghai study of 30 people with COVID-19, half got 400 mg of hydroxychloroquine for 5 days while the other half did not. At the end of the study, 13 people (87%) who received hydroxychloroquine tested negative for COVID-19 compared to 14 people (93%) who also tested negative but did not receive the medication. This suggests that hydroxychloroquine did not make a difference in recovery.

Study 6 – March 30, 2020
Another small study in France wanted to verify the results of Study 2 above, so they gave 11 people the same combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. After 6 days, 8 of 10 patients were still positive for SARS-CoV-2 (1 person could not be tested due to death). In addition to the death, two people were transferred to the ICU and one had to stop treatment due to side effects. This study was short and, like another study above, did not have a control group to compare patients to.

Study 7 – April 14, 2020
In a study of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 150 people were randomly assigned to either receive high doses of hydroxychloroquine (1,200 mg for 3 days, then 800 mg for 2-3 weeks) or not. At the end of the study, 85% of the patients who got hydroxychloroquine tested negative for the novel coronavirus compared to 81% who did not get the medication. The typical time it took for people to clear the virus and see improvements in symptoms was also similar between groups. About 30% reported side effects, though they were mostly mild.

Study 8 – April 21, 2020
A retrospective study looked at veterans affairs (VA) hospitals across the U.S. and identified 368 male veterans who were hospitalized with COVID-19. The veterans were grouped based on whether they had received (1) hydroxychloroquine, (2) hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, or (3) no hydroxychloroquine.

Death rates were highest in the group that received hydroxychloroquine alone (28%), followed by the group that received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin (22%). The group that did not receive hydroxychloroquine had the lowest death rate (11%).

One thing to note is that people who had more severe symptoms, which might partially explain the higher death rates, were also more likely to get medications. People in this study were over 65 years old (on average) and male, which makes it difficult to apply the results to everyone.

Study 9 – May 7, 2020 (New England Journal of Medicine)
In a large observational study of 1,376 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in New York City, 811 people (59%) received hydroxychloroquine. There was minimal difference in the risk of needing a breathing tube (intubation) or death between those who didn’t get hydroxychloroquine and those who did. Because this study was observational (meaning the researchers only looked at the end results and were not involved with treatment), it is possible that other factors (confounders) may have affected the findings. Regardless, the researchers concluded that their study does not support the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19.

Study 10 – May 11, 2020 (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Another large observational study of 1,438 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in New York state also did not see a difference in death rates between those who got hydroxychloroquine (with or without azithromycin) compared to those who did not. Again, because this was an observational study, other factors that were not measured could have also affected the results. Overall, hydroxychloroquine did not show a benefit in this study.

Studies 11 and 12 – May 14, 2020 (British Medical Journal)
Two unrelated studies, both published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), concluded that hydroxychloroquine was not helpful in treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The first was a retrospective study done in France that looked at 181 patients who required oxygen in the hospital but were not in the ICU (intensive care unit). At 21 days after admission, 89% of people who got hydroxychloroquine were still alive and 82% no longer needed extra oxygen. It was about the same in the group who didn’t get hydroxychloroquine (91% were still alive at 21 days and 76% no longer needed oxygen).

The second study was completed in China. One hundred fifty hospitalized patients were randomly assigned to either get hydroxychloroquine or not in an open-label study (meaning the doctors and patients knew who was getting hydroxychloroquine). Comparing those who got the medication to those who didn’t, 71% versus 75% tested negative for coronavirus by day 28, respectively. About half of the patients in this study also received an antiviral medication, which can make the results a bit tricky to interpret.

Study 13 – May 22, 2020 (The Lancet — retracted by the authors because the full database of patients could not be verified)
A large study looked at a database of 96,032 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across 6 countries. They reported that those who got hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine (with or without an antibiotic) had a higher death rate than those who did not. This study has since been retracted by the authors (who were not involved with the data collection process) because the company who originally supplied the data would not grant independent reviewers access to the database due to prior confidentiality agreements.

Study 14 – June 3, 2020 (New England Journal of Medicine)
A randomized, controlled study in the U.S. and Canada tested hydroxychloroquine’s ability to prevent infection. The researchers looked at what happened when people were in close contact (with or without a face mask) with someone with COVID-19 for more than 10 minutes. This study was double-blinded, meaning that both the study participants and researchers did not know which participants received hydroxychloroquine or a placebo (vitamin tablet).

There were 821 people in the study: 12% who got hydroxychloroquine had symptoms of COVID-19 or tested positive within 14 days compared to 14% of those who got a placebo. This difference was not statistically significant, meaning hydroxychloroquine (taken within 4 days after COVID-19 exposure) did not prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Study 15 – June 5, 2020
RECOVERY is a randomized clinical trial from the UK that looked at hydroxychloroquine use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Patients were randomly assigned to either get hydroxychloroquine (1,542 patients) or usual care (3,132 patients). At 28 days, the death rate was 26% in the group that got hydroxychloroquine compared to 24% in the group that did not get the medication. This difference was not statistically significant (meaning it could have happened by chance). The researchers also looked at other measures of health, such as length of hospital stay, but didn’t find any other differences. They concluded overall that hydroxychloroquine did not provide any benefit for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Results were shared in a recent press release, and full results from the study are expected to be published shortly.

Study 16 – July 16, 2020 (Annals of Internal Medicine)
This randomized study looked at whether or not hydroxychloroquine was helpful for adults with COVID-19 who were not hospitalized. They looked at symptom severity on a 10-point scale over 14 days. The group that got hydroxychloroquine saw an improvement of 2.6 points compared to 2.3 points in the group that did not get hydroxychloroquine. This difference was not statistically significant, meaning hydroxychloroquine was not effective in reducing the severity of symptoms.

This study had a few limitations — the biggest one being that not all study participants had a confirmed COVID-19 test due to testing shortages, though they were included based on exposure risk and symptoms.

Study 17 – July 23, 2020 (New England Journal of Medicine)
In a randomized, open-label study, 504 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Brazil received either hydroxychloroquine, hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin, or neither medications. (An open-label study means that the doctors and patients knew which treatment they were getting.) Researchers assessed the patients on day 15 using a 7-point scale. There was no difference in scores between the 3 groups, suggesting that hydroxychloroquine did not help patients improve.

One thing the researchers noted was that patients usually received treatment within 7 days after having symptoms, though some patients didn’t get treatment until 14 days. It’s possible that starting treatment earlier would lead to different results, but that cannot be determined from this study.


Are hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine safe?
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are generally considered safe when taken for conditions that they have been approved for. If you currently take either of these for malaria or autoimmune conditions, you should continue taking them according to your doctor’s instructions. As with any medications, there are risks and benefits. Both hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can cause side effects, but in these cases, the benefits outweigh the risk.

On April 24, 2020, the FDA issued a warning stating that using hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of a hospital setting can put people at risk of serious heart rhythm problems, particularly QT prolongation. This is a well-known side effect of these medications. Because there is still a lot we don’t know about COVID-19, it is unclear if COVID-19 itself increases this risk.

Taking hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine with other medications that can also cause QT prolongation, like azithromycin, can further increase this risk. Prior to the FDA’s warning, several cardiology groups, including the American Heart Association, had issued a joint statement cautioning about the risks of taking these medications together.

On June 15, 2020, the FDA issued another warning that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine may interact with remdesivir, another medication being tested as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Taking the medications together may make remdesivir less effective.

Can hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine prevent or cure COVID-19?
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are not FDA-approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. Furthermore, the FDA has revoked their Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, stating that it was no longer reasonable to believe that these medications were effective in treating COVID-19. The WHO and NIH have also decided to stop their hydroxychloroquine studies because the medication did not provide any benefit for patients with COVID-19 nor did it reduce COVID-19 deaths in several studies.

Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not yet been shown to prevent COVID-19 either in a community or hospital setting. In the studies cited above (except for Study #16), patients received these medications in the hospital only after they were confirmed to have COVID-19. Additional data is needed to better understand the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for COVID-19 prevention.

Many clinical studies are currently underway to find a treatment for COVID-19, and the FDA is working with various government agencies, academic centers, and biopharmaceutical companies to expedite the process.

https://www.goodrx.com/blog/coronavirus-medicine-chloroquine-hydroxychloroquine-as-covid19-treatment/

Drug Combo with Hydroxychloroquine Promising: NYU Study

It's one of many ongoing studies.

www.ny1.com

DEFINE_ME

Outcomes of 3,737 COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin and other regimens in Marseille, France: A retrospective analysis

In our institute in Marseille, France, we initiated early and massive screening for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hospitalization and early tre…

www.sciencedirect.com

There are more. When used early on, and with monitoring (which it is noted is not done when used for lupus, et al) it helps reduce the severity and morbidity.

 

[whitehall]

The U.S. supports more illegal aliens than the entire population of some 3rd world countries. You can't compare the U.S. to the 3rd world. It seems that some death certificates for the elderly list Covid when it used to be "natural causes". It's no secret that the disease has turned into a political issue and the strategy for democrats is the same as the old confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest, "get 'em skeered and keep the skeer on them" (at least until the election).