Covid-19: Hydroxychloroquine does not benefit hospitalised patients, UK trial finds
Ingrid Torjesen
Abstract
Hydroxychloroquine does not reduce the risk of dying or improve other outcomes in hospitalised patients treated for covid-19, preliminary results from the UK RECOVERY trial have shown. Announcing the results, Martin Landray, the study’s deputy chief investigator, said, “We have concluded that there is no beneficial effect of hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalised with covid-19. We have therefore decided to stop enrolling participants to the hydroxychloroquine arm with immediate effect.” The data show the death rate at 28 days in covid-19 patients taking hydroxychloroquine is 25.7% compared with 23.5% in patients provided with only usual hospital care (hazard ratio 1.11 (95% confidence interval 0.98-1.26); P=0.10). So far 1542 patients in the trial have been randomised to hydroxychloroquine and 3132 patients randomised to usual care alone. There was also no evidence that hydroxychloroquine impacted on length of …