HCQ for COVID-19
1st treatment shown to reduce risk in
March 2020, now with p < 0.0000000001 from 426 studies, used in 59 countries.
No treatment is 100% effective.
Protocols combine treatments.
Analysis of the Fiolet meta analysis and correction of bias evaluation, showing HCQ RR 0.45 [0.31-0.59], and HCQ+AZ RR 0.34 [0.06-0.61].
11 meta-analyses show significant improvements with hydroxychloroquine for mortality1-5,
hospitalization1,
recovery6,
combined death/hospitalization/cases7,
cases8-10, and
viral clearance11.
Currently there are 38 HCQ for COVID-19 early treatment studies, showing 76% lower mortality [61‑85%], 67% lower ventilation [-710‑99%], 31% lower ICU admission [1‑53%], and 42% lower hospitalization [29‑52%].
1.
Landsteiner de Sampaio Amêndola et al., COVID-19 Infection in Rheumatic Patients on Chronic Antimalarial Drugs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Journal of Clinical Medicine, doi:10.3390/jcm11226865.
2.
Risch, H., Early Outpatient Treatment of Symptomatic, High-Risk Covid-19 Patients that Should be Ramped-Up Immediately as Key to the Pandemic Crisis, American Journal of Epidemiology, kwaa093, 27 May 2020, doi:10.1093/aje/kwaa093.
3.
Risch (B), H., Response to: “Early Outpatient Treatment of Symptomatic, High-Risk Covid-19 Patients” and “Re: Early Outpatient Treatment of Symptomatic, High-Risk Covid-19 Patients that Should be Ramped-Up Immediately as Key to the Pandemic Crisis”, American Journal of Epidemiology, July 20, 2020, doi:10.1093/aje/kwaa152.
4.
Stricker et al., Hydroxychloroquine Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for COVID-19 in Healthcare Workers from India: A Meta-Analysis, Journal of Infection and Public Health, doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2021.08.001.
5.
Amal et al., Exploring the long-term hydroxychloroquine’s effects on COVID-19 outcomes in patients with autoimmune diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis, European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, doi:10.1007/s00228-026-04066-y.
6.
Prodromos et al., Hydroxychloroquine is effective, and consistently so used early, for Covid-19: A systematic review, New Microbes and New Infections, doi:10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100776.
7.
Ladapo et al., Randomized Controlled Trials of Early Ambulatory Hydroxychloroquine in the Prevention of COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, and Death: Meta-Analysis, medRxiv, doi:10.1101/2020.09.30.20204693.
8.
García-Albéniz et al., Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials of hydroxychloroquine for the prevention of COVID-19, European Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1007/s10654-022-00891-4.
9.
Han et al., The efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 prophylaxis and clinical assessment: an updated meta-analysis of randomized trials, Journal of Thoracic Disease, doi:10.21037/jtd-23-1043.
Lounnas et al., 9 Feb 2021, peer-reviewed, 4 authors.
Revisiting a Meta-analysis Shows that Hydroxychloroquine with Azithromycin may be Efficient in Covid-19 patients
Archives of Microbiology & Immunology, doi:10.26502/ami.93650055
Objective: To analyze the impact of study selection on the results of a recently published meta-analysis of the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin (AZI) in Covid-19 patients. Methods: 31 studies were reviewed looking for critical bias. Combined hazard ratios and confidence intervals were calculated for both treatments using a fixed effects size model and a random effects model. Quantitative analysis regarding the toxicity of the association HCQ plus AZI is made. Results: Meta-analyses performed on the 11 studies we deem critically unbiased show a mortality reduction of 55% for HCQ and 66% for HCQ plus AZI. For both treatments, our meta-analysis indicates a significant efficacy in reducing mortality in hospitalized Covid-19 patients.
Competing interests The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval Approval was not required for this work.
Acknowledgments Thanks to all members of the France Soir -Citizen Circle (scientists, medical practitioners, lecturers and jurists) for the many public audience articles they wrote or help publish in France Soir, with