Tipsheet

A New Study Shows, Again, That Hydroxychloroquine Works

A new study published by medRxiv shows hydroxychloroquine, combined with zinc, increased the survival rate of severely ill Wuhan coronavirus patients by 200 percent. 

"This observational study looked at 255 COVID19 patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) during the first two months of the US pandemic. Through comprehensive, longitudinal evaluation and new consideration of all the data, we were able to better describe and understand factors affecting outcome after intubation," the study finding state. "By considering more factors and using new methods, we found that when increased doses of co-administered HCQ and AZM were associated with >100% increase in survival. Comparison of absolute with weight-adjusted cumulative doses proves administration =80 mg/kg of HCQ with > 1 gm AZM increases survival in IMV-requiring Covid patients by over 100%."

While the study is new, the information about the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine has been known since April of 2020. Doctors around the country were prescribing it with positive results. 

Further, a survey from Jackson & Coker of more than 1000 doctors showed an overwhelming majority of would prescribe hydroxychloroquine to a family member suffering from Wuhan coronavirus. 

"Sixty-five percent of physicians across the United States said they would prescribe the anti-malaria drugs chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent COVID-19 in a family member," the survey, which questioned 1,271 doctors in 50 states, found. "Only 11 percent said they would not use the drug at all."

In addition, a significant number of doctors said they would prescribe the drugs to those exposed to the virus as a preventative measure and would take it themselves if they became sick from the disease.  

"Thirty-percent of the surveyed doctors said they would prescribe the medications to a family member prior to the onset of symptoms if they had been exposed to COVID-19," they found. "Sixty-seven percent of surveyed physicians said they would take the medications themselves to treat COVID-19. Fifty-six percent said they would take the anti-malarial if they displayed symptoms and another 11 percent said they would take the medications if they got very sick from the virus."

New emails belonging to Dr. Anthony Fauci and released last week show he was told about the efficacy of the drug but publicly stated it wasn't of good use for combatting the disease. 

For a period of four weeks late last spring, President Trump took hydroxychloroquine as a preventative drug.