Treatment with hydroxychloroquine cut death rate significantly in COVID-19 patients: Study

With the entire world on a war footing to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, a new study published by Henry Ford Health System says that the treatment with hydroxychloroquine cut the COVID-19 death rate remarkably. Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine at Henry Ford met specific protocol criteria as outlined by the hospital system’s Division of Infectious Diseases.

Hyderabad: Amid growing concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, a new study published by Henry Ford Health System stated that the treatment with hydroxychloroquine cut the COVID-19 death rate significantly and without heart-related side-effects.

In a large-scale retrospective analysis of 2,541 patients hospitalized between March 10 and May 2, 2020, across the system’s six hospitals, the study found 13 per cent of those treated with hydroxychloroquine alone died compared to 26.4% not treated with hydroxychloroquine. None of the patients had documented serious heart abnormalities.

Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine at Henry Ford met specific protocol criteria as outlined by the hospital system’s Division of Infectious Diseases.

The vast majority received the drug soon after admission. 82 per cent within 24 hours and 91 per cent within 48 hours of admission.

Read:COVID-19: India frees export of anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine

All patients in the study were 18 or over with a median age of 64 years.

Dr Marcus Zervos, division head of Infectious Disease for Henry Ford Health System, who co-authored the study with Henry Ford epidemiologist Dr Samia Arshad, said that findings have been highly analyzed and reviewed.

"We attribute our findings that differ from other studies to early treatment, and part of a combination of interventions that were done in supportive care of patients, including careful cardiac monitoring. Our dosing also differed from other studies not showing a benefit of the drug. And other studies are either not peer-reviewed, have limited numbers of patients, different patient populations or other differences from our patients,” Dr Zervos said.

Dr Zervos further said that the potential for a surge in the fall or sooner, and infections continuing worldwide, show an urgency to identifying inexpensive and effective therapies and preventions.

Notably, the study also found those treated with azithromycin alone or a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin also fared slightly better than those not treated with the drugs.

Read:WHO warns against using hydroxychloroquine outside clinical trials

The analysis found 22.4 per cent of those treated only with azithromycin died, and 20.1 per cent treated with a combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine died, compared to 26.4 per cent of patients dying who were not treated with either medication.

Overall, hospital system patients in the study experienced an 18.1% in-hospital mortality rate. Regardless of treatment, mortality was highest in:

• Patients older than 65
• Patients who identified as Caucasian
• Patients admitted with reduced oxygen levels
• Patients who required ICU admission

Patients who died commonly had serious underlying diseases, including chronic kidney and lung disease, with 88% dying from respiratory failure.

It is to be noted that the study was also published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the peer-reviewed, open-access online publication of the International Society of Infectious Diseases (ISID.org).

Henry Ford Health System, as one of the region’s major academic medical centres with more than $100 million in annual research funding, is involved in numerous COVID-19 trials with national and international partners.