A meta-analysis and systematic review were carried out to systematically review the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reported by randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Hydroxychloroquine
was found to have no advantage in treating or preventing coronavirus infection.
Furthermore, it was linked with a greater occurrence of adverse events.
A meta-analysis and systematic
review were carried out to systematically review the efficacy and safety of
hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
reported by randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Multiple
databases and preprint servers were explored for RCTs that explored
hydroxychloroquine to treat/prevent COVID-19. The impact of hydroxychloroquine
on death, viral clearance, and other clinical outcomes were assessed. About 21 RCTs (Out of 768 papers screened)
with 14,138 participants were incorporated.
In total, 9 inpatient and 3 outpatient RCTs evaluated death in 8,596 subjects with a pooled risk difference of 0.01. Notably, 6 studies determined viral clearance at seven days with a pooled risk ratio of 1.11 and 5 studies at 14 days with a pooled risk ratio of 0.96.
Numerous trials showed no significant effect of hydroxychloroquine on other clinical outcomes. As per five prevention RCTs with 5012 subjects, there was no effect of hydroxychloroquine on the risk of getting coronavirus infection. In total, 13 trials demonstrated that hydroxychloroquine was linked with an elevated risk of adverse events.
A high level of certainty of evidence
indicated that hydroxychloroquine is not effective in lowering mortality in
coronavirus-infected subjects. As per the lower certainty evidence,
hydroxychloroquine neither leads to improvement in viral clearance and other
clinical outcomes nor leads to prevention of coronavirus infection in
individuals having elevated-risk exposure. Hydroxychloroquine was found to be
linked with an elevated rate of adverse events.
The use
of hydroxychloroquine was associated with a greater occurrence of adverse
events and yielded no benefit in COVID-19 patients.
Clinical and Translational Science
Mortality, viral clearance, and other clinical outcomes of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Zakariya Kashour et al.
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