Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

October 9, 2020

Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19

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  • The RECOVERY trial found that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who received hydroxychloroquine did not have a lower incidence of death by 28 days after enrollment compared to those who received usual care. The randomized open-label platform trial found that patients in the hydroxychloroquine group were less likely to be discharged from the hospital alive within 28 days than those in the usual-care group (60% vs 63%). Among patients who were not on a ventilator at baseline, those in the hydroxychloroquine group had a higher frequency of invasive mechanical ventilation or death (31% vs 27%). There was a small numerical excess of cardiac deaths (0.4%) but no difference in the incidence of new major cardiac arrhythmia among the patients who received hydroxychloroquine.

Horby et al. (Oct 8, 2020). Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19. New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2022926