Loading ...Published online 2020 Oct 5.doi: 10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100776
PMCID: PMC7534595
PMID: 33042552
Hydroxychloroquine is effective, and consistently so when provided early, for COVID-19: a systematic review
Prodromos1,∗ and T. Rumschlag2
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
Introduction
There is a need for effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), with or without azithromycin (AZ), has been found to have efficacy as a treatment for COVID-19 in some studies [1,2], while other studies have not shown efficacy [3,4]. While we do not prescribe HCQ to typical patients, we do treat various forms of inflammatory arthritis in patients prescribed HCQ by outside providers. Some physicians have stated that HCQ has greater efficacy if provided earlier in the course of the disease [5,6]. Several studies showing negative efficacy have been withdrawn as a result of methodologic problems [7].
We hypothesized that HCQ clinical studies would show the agent to have significant efficacy more often than not for COVID-19, and that efficacy would be greater if HCQ was provided earlier in the disease course. We also hypothesized that some studies that failed to show efficacy would be biased against positive efficacy and that no unbiased studies would show worsening. Finally, we hypothesized that HCQ would be found to be safe.