Hydroxychloroquine studies show drug is not effective for early treatment of mild covid-19

Hydroxychloroquine studies show drug is not effective for early treatment of mild covid-19 The first randomized clinical trial of hydroxychlorquine for early treatment of patients with mild covid-19 showed the drug was not effective in treating the disease in patients who were not hospitalized. The study is a setback for proponents of the drug who argued it would be beneficial for people treated early. Laurie McGinley Washington Post

The first randomized clinical trial testing hydroxychloroquine as an early treatment for mild covid-19 found the drug was no better than a placebo in patients who were not hospitalized.

The trial results were published Thursday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School, involved 491 adults and showed that the medication did not work better than a placebo at reducing the severity of symptoms over 14 days. Results from a similar trial conducted in Spain were published shortly afterward.

Patients in the Minnesota trial were enrolled within the first four days of having symptoms, and 56 percent were enrolled within one day of the onset of symptoms. The patients were seen at doctors’ offices or outpatient or urgent-care clinics.

The first randomized clinical trial testing hydroxychloroquine as an early treatment for mild covid-19 found the drug was no better than a placebo in patients who were not hospitalized.

The trial results were published Thursday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School, involved 491 adults and showed that the medication did not work better than a placebo at reducing the severity of symptoms over 14 days. Results from a similar trial conducted in Spain were published shortly afterward.

Patients in the Minnesota trial were enrolled within the first four days of having symptoms, and 56 percent were enrolled within one day of the onset of symptoms. The patients were seen at doctors’ offices or outpatient or urgent-care clinics....

Previous randomized trials have shown the drug is not effective in treating hospitalized covid-19 patients. An observational study, considered less rigorous than a randomized trial, was recently published that showed a much lower death rate among hospitalized patients given the drug early, but critics said the study had several design flaws.

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