New Chinese study in hospital in Wuhan, reported origin of the Covid-19 epidemic, discusses the “potential” of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the new coronavirus.
Put online for pre-publication, i.e. not reviewed by a specialized reading committee of a scientific journal, this study of doctors from the Wuhan People’s Hospital concerns 62 infected patients, a group of 31 having received hydroxychloroquine (400 mg / day) and a control group of 31 patients also, who did not receive it.
The two groups were randomized, by computer, and the patients had an average age of 44.7 years. With symptoms of pneumonia that had not degenerated, they all received “standard treatment” consisting of oxygen, antivirals and antibiotics. In addition, lung scans were performed before the start of the study and after five full days of treatment.
After five days of treatment, patients in the group who received hydroxychloroquine in addition presented a significantly better assessment of pneumonia, with an improvement in 80.6% of them (of which 61.3% had a “significant improvement »), Compared with 54.8% for the control group.
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Symptoms of fever and cough also eased faster in the hydroxychloroquine group than in the control group, the researchers said. In conclusion, the authors remain cautious, saying that “the potential of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of Covid-19 has been partially confirmed”.
“Considering that there is currently no other option, it seems promising to use hydroxychloroquine under surveillance”, they continue, while stressing that “a larger clinical study and research are needed … ) to shed light on the specific mechanism of hydroxychloroquine and optimize treatment ”.
Professor Didier Raoult, French doctor tireless promoter of the use of hydroxychloroquine, author of two studies with the controversial methodology on the use against Covid-19 of this derivative of a current antimalarial, welcomed on Twitter of the results of this study: “Despite the small number of cases, the difference is significant. This shows the effectiveness of this protocol, “he argues.
With AFP
