A pragmatic randomized controlled trial reports lack of efficacy of hydroxychloroquine on coronavirus disease 2019 viral kinetics
Magnus Nakrem Lyngbakken, Jan‐Erik Berdal, Arne Nørgaard Eskesen, Dag Kvale, Inge Christoffer Olsen, Corina S. Rueegg, Anbjørg Rangberg, Christine Monceyron Jonassen, Torbjørn Omland, Helge Røsjø, Olav Dalgård
Abstract
Here, we randomized 53 patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to hydroxychloroquine therapy (at a dose of 400 mg twice daily for seven days) in addition to standard care or standard care alone (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT04316377). All severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive patients 18 years of age or older were eligible for study inclusion if they had moderately severe COVID-19 at admission. Treatment with hydroxychloroquine did not result in a significantly greater rate of decline in SARS-CoV-2 oropharyngeal viral load compared to standard care alone during the first five days. Our results suggest no important antiviral effect of hydroxychloroquine in humans infected with SARS-CoV-2.