Lancet study finds no benefit for hydroxychloroquine in Covid-19 patients

A study published on Friday in The Lancet has found links between the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine and increased rates of mortality and heart arrhythmias among hospital patients with Covid-19.

The study’s authors say that these drug regimens should not be used to treat Covid-19 outside of clinical trials, and that urgent confirmation from randomised clinical trials is needed. United StatesUnited StatesUnited States President States President States President Donald TrumpTrumpTrump has been a persistent and vocal promoter of hydroxychloroquine.

Prof (Dr) Frank Ruschitzka, Director of the Heart Center at University Hospital Zurich and one of the co-authors of the study told The Indian Express over the phone that treatment with the antimalarial drug chloroquine or its analogue hydroxychloroquine (taken with or without the antibiotics azithromycin or clarithromycin) offers no benefit for patients of Covid-19.