Trump's Drug Is Ineffective In Preventing COVID-19

Trump's drug is ineffective in preventing COVID-19

Hydroxychloroquine did not reduce the risk of developing COVID-19 in people who came into contact with infected people.

Photo: medscape.com

The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine cannot be used to prevent the development of COVID-19 in people who have come into contact with those infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. A study that demonstrated this is published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This is the first scientific work that has assessed the preventive value of a drug for coronavirus infection.

This drug has received increased attention thanks to US President Donald Trump. He has repeatedly called hydroxychloroquine a promising drug, and also stated that he himself took it for the purpose of prevention.

WHO suspends research on chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine

The final decision on these drugs will be made after the completion of the randomized trials or after additional expert decisions.

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The new study, which was conducted by scientists from the University of Minnesota, included 821 people. They have come into contact with people infected with SARS-CoV-2 at home or at work. During the first four days after contact, half of the study participants received hydroxychloroquine for disease prevention, the other half were given a placebo. People were randomly assigned to the treatment or placebo group. Neither the scientists nor the participants knew who was receiving the experimental pills. That is, the study was randomized, double-blind.

Within two weeks of exposure to COVID-19, 12% of the participants in the hydrochloroquine group and 14% in the placebo group became ill. The difference in the number of cases was not statistically significant.

Scientists also found significant side effects in 40% of people who took hydroxychloroquine: nausea, indigestion, diarrhea. In the placebo group, 16% of people had similar adverse effects.

A limitation of the study was that not all participants received PCR diagnostics for COVID-19. That is, some asymptomatic cases may have been missed. However, the authors emphasize that the study was randomized, so asymptomatic cases and other infections (such as influenza) should have been relatively evenly distributed between groups.