Chloroquine: two new studies claim that it is ineffective

A time perceived as the miracle treatment to treat Covid-19, hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial treatment promoted in particular by Professor Didier Raoult, has since seen its effectiveness called into question. An American study, carried out on more than 1,300 patients, showed that this treatment brings neither benefit nor harm in the case of a Covid-19 infection. Already at the end of March, the ANSM warned of the side effects of the treatment which can lead to heart problems.

Ineffective and with unwanted side effects

Two new studies, published in the British medical journal BMJconfirmed the ineffectiveness of treatment with chloroquine. The first one, carried out by French researchers, estimates that hydroxychloroquine does not significantly reduce the risk of admission to intensive care or death in patients hospitalized with pneumonia due to Covid-19. This study involved 181 infected patients with pneumonia caused by the virus that required the administration of oxygen. Among them, 84 received hydroxychloroquine daily and 97 did not take it. The results showed that taking this treatment did not change anything in the transfer of patients to intensive care since 76% of patients treated with hydroxychloroquine were in intensive care after 21^and day, compared to 75% in the other group of patients. In terms of mortality, it is the same result: the survival rate at 21^and day was 89% and 91%, respectively.

The second studyconducted this time by Chinese researchers, shows that this treatment does not eliminate the virus more quickly than standard treatments in patients hospitalized with a form “light” Where “moderate” of Covid-19 and causes significant side effects. This involved 150 hospitalized patients who do not have serious forms of Covid-19. The first half was given hydroxychloroquine and the other half was not. After four weeks of treatment, no notable difference appeared between the patients of the two groups. However, 30% of those who received the treatment suffered from adverse effects, mainly diarrhoea, compared to 9% in patients who did not take it.

A treatment to avoid

These two studies therefore confirm that this treatment seems ineffective. “Taken together, these results do not support the use of hydroxychloroquine as a routine treatment for patients with Covid-19., concludes the British medical journal BMJ which published the two studies. “Hydroxychloroquine has received planetary attention as a potential treatment for Covid-19 after positive results from small studies. However, the results of this study do not support its use in patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19 who require oxygen.”believe for their part the researchers of several hospitals in the Paris region.