The study includes observations of over 96,000 patients in 671 hospitals with covid-19. It shows that 14,888 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine or the related medicine chloroquine have a higher risk of death compared to 81,144 patients who did not receive either of the two medications.
Demand for hydroxychloroquine, a drug that was approved several decades ago, has increased since Trump said in April that hydroxychloroquine could be a preventive protection against the corona virus.
Disappointed expertsExperts have warned to absorb Trump's message. On April 24, the US FDA said they were aware of "reports of serious heart rhythm problems" in covid-19 patients receiving hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.
On May 18, the 73-year-old told Trump that without a coronavirus, he eats a tablet of hydroxychloroquine daily. According to him, there is a good chance that the malaria drug has a preventive effect. His message drew criticism from experts around the world.
Want to wait for researchTrump leaned toward a positive report on the merits of hydroxychloroquine against coronavirus, but subsequent studies have concluded that the drug does not help in this context.
The researchers behind the study in The Lancet cannot confirm that the drug is of any benefit to patients with covid-19. They suggest that treatments should not be used until clinical trial results confirm that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are safe and effective for corona patients.
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This is hydroxychloroquine - malaria medicine, effective against autoimmune diseases - and fatal if used incorrectly. Photo: TT / Stefan Zimmermann, KI