Frequency and Severity of COVID-19 in Patients with Various Rheumatic Diseases Treated Regularly with Colchicine or Hydroxychloroquine

Oztas et al., Journal of Medical Virology, doi:10.1002/jmv.27731, Mar 2022
Hospitalization -215% improvement lower risk ← → higher risk Symp. case -40% Case -5% HCQ for COVID-19  Oztas et al.  PROPHYLAXIS Is pre-exposure prophylaxis with HCQ beneficial for COVID-19? Retrospective 650 patients in Turkey Higher hospitalization (p=0.36) and more symptomatic cases (p=0.44), not sig. c19early.org Oztas et al., J. Medical Virology, Mar 2022 0 0.5 1 1.5 2+ RR
HCQ for COVID-19
1st treatment shown to reduce risk in March 2020, now with p < 0.00000000001 from 424 studies, used in 59 countries.
Lower risk for mortality, hospitalization, progression, recovery, cases, and viral clearance.
No treatment is 100% effective. Protocols combine treatments.
6,200+ studies for 200+ treatments. c19early.org
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Retrospective 317 HCQ users and 333 household contacts, showing higher risk with HCQ.
Authors do not adjust for the very different baseline risk for systemic autoimmune disease patients. Other research shows that the risk of COVID-19 for systemic autoimmune disease patients is much higher overall, Ferri et al. show OR 4.42, p<0.0011.
This study is excluded in the after exclusion results of meta analysis: not adjusting for the different baseline risk of systemic autoimmune patients; excessive unadjusted differences between groups.
Important missing comments or errors? Let us know.
Study covers HCQ and colchicine.
risk of hospitalization, 215.1% higher, RR 3.15, p = 0.36, treatment 3 of 317 (0.9%), control 1 of 333 (0.3%).
risk of symptomatic case, 40.1% higher, RR 1.40, p = 0.44, treatment 16 of 317 (5.0%), control 12 of 333 (3.6%).
risk of case, 5.0% higher, RR 1.05, p = 0.88, treatment 22 of 317 (6.9%), control 22 of 333 (6.6%).
Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates
Oztas et al., 21 Mar 2022, retrospective, Turkey, peer-reviewed, 15 authors.
$0 $500 $1,000+ Efficacy vs. cost for COVID-19 treatment protocols c19early.org November 2025 Turkey United Kingdom Russia USA Sudan Angola Colombia Kenya Mozambique Pakistan Argentina Vietnam Peru Philippines Spain Brazil Italy France Japan China Uzbekistan Nepal Ethiopia Iran Ghana Mexico South Korea Germany Bangladesh Saudi Arabia Algeria Morocco Poland DR Congo Madagascar Thailand Uganda Venezuela Nigeria Egypt Bolivia Taiwan Zambia Fiji Bosnia-Herzegovina Ukraine Côte d'Ivoire Bulgaria Greece Slovakia Singapore Iceland New Zealand Czechia Mongolia Israel Trinidad and Tobago Hong Kong North Macedonia Belarus Qatar Panama Serbia CAR Chad Turkey favored low-cost treatments.The average efficacy of treatments was moderate.Low-cost treatments improve early treatment, andprovide complementary/synergistic benefits. More effective More expensive 75% 50% 25% ≤0%
$0 $500 $1,000+ Efficacy vs. cost for COVID-19treatment protocols worldwide c19early.org November 2025 Turkey United Kingdom Russia USA Sudan Angola Colombia Kenya Mozambique Pakistan Argentina Vietnam Peru Philippines Spain Brazil Italy France Japan China Uzbekistan Nepal Ethiopia Iran Ghana Mexico South Korea Germany Bangladesh Saudi Arabia Algeria Morocco Poland India DR Congo Madagascar Thailand Uganda Venezuela Nigeria Egypt Bolivia Taiwan Zambia Fiji Ukraine Côte d'Ivoire Eritrea Bulgaria Greece Slovakia Singapore New Zealand Czechia Mongolia Israel Trinidad and Tobago North Macedonia Belarus Qatar Panama Serbia Syria Turkey favored low-cost treatments.The average efficacy was moderate.Low-cost protocols improve early treatment,and add complementary/synergistic benefits. More effective More expensive 75% 50% 25% ≤0%
Frequency and severity of COVID‐19 in patients with various rheumatic diseases treated regularly with colchicine or hydroxychloroquine
Mert Oztas, Murat Bektas, Ilker Karacan, Numune Aliyeva, Ayten Dag, Selim Sarvan Aghamuradov, Selim Berke Cevirgen, Selma Sari, Murat Bolayirli, Gunay Can, Gulen Hatemi, Emire Seyahi, Huri Ozdogan, Ahmet Gul, Serdal Ugurlu
Journal of Medical Virology, doi:10.1002/jmv.27731
Introduction. The current study aimed to investigate whether patients regularly using colchicine or hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have an advantage of protection from COVID-19 or developing less severe disease. Methods. Patients who were taking colchicine or HCQ regularly for a rheumatic disease including Familial Mediterranean Fever, Behçet's syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome as well as their healthy household contacts as the control group were included into the study. The clinical data regarding COVID-19 were collected using a standard form, and serum samples were analyzed for anti-SARS-COV-2 nucleocapsid IgG. Results. A total of 635 regular colchicine users with their 643 household contacts and 317 regular HCQ users with their 333 household contacts were analyzed. Anti-SARS-Cov2 IgG was positive in 43 (6.8%) regular colchicine users and 35 (5.4%) household contacts (OR=1.3; 95% CI:0.8-2; p=0.3). COVID-19 related symptoms were described by 29 (67.4%) of the patients and 17 (48.6%) household contacts (OR=2.2; 95% CI:0.9-5.5; p=0.09), and hospital admission was observed in five (11.6%) and one (2.9%) of these subjects (OR=4.5; 95% CI:0.5-40.2; p=0.1), respectively. Seropositive subjects were observed in 22 (6.9%) regular HCQ users and 24 (7.2%) household contacts (OR=1.1; CI:0.6-1.9; p=0.8). COVID-19-related symptoms occurred in 16 (72.7%) of the 22 patients and 12 (50%) of 24 household contacts (OR=2.7; 95% CI:0.8-9.1; p=0.1). Three patients (13.6%) were admitted to hospital, while one household contact (4.2%) was hospitalized (OR=3.6; 95% CI:0.3-37.8; p=0.2). Conclusions. Being on a regular treatment of colchicine or HCQ was not resulted in the prevention of COVID-19 or amelioration of its manifestations.
Accepted Article In conclusion, being on the treatment of regular doses of colchicine or HCQ was not effective in the prevention of COVID-19 and ameliorating its manifestations. Nevertheless, these medications did not cause worse outcomes during the course of the COVID-19 neither. However, further studies are needed to assess the preventive role of colchicine or HCQ. Conflict of Intersest Statement
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