Hydroxychloroquine for COVID (France)

Early treatment with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for COVID-19 patients: a retrospective analysis in Marseille, France

Study design: Retrospective analysis

Population

Number of patients studied: 3,737
Inclusion criteria: Screened patients for COVID-19, treated for at least three days
Exclusion criteria: Treatment for less than three days

Interventions

Experimental group: 3,119 patients treated with HCQ-AZ
Control group: 618 patients treated with other regimens

Primary outcome: Transfer to ICU or death, hospitalization ≥10 days, and duration of viral shedding

Safety outcomes or Adverse Events

QTc prolongation (>60 ms) in 25 patients (0.67%); treatment cessation in 12 cases including 3 cases with QTc ≥500 ms; no cases of torsade de pointe or sudden death; adverse events observed in 167 (4.5%) patients, with treatment discontinuation required in 35 patients (0.93%)

Conclusion

Early diagnosis, early isolation, and early treatment of COVID-19 patients with at least 3 days of HCQ-AZ lead to a significantly better clinical outcome and a faster viral load reduction than other treatments. Adverse events were mostly mild and manageable.