Second U Of M Study Determines Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Treat COVID-19 Symptoms
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have found hydroxychloroquine to be ineffective in decreasing the severity of COVID-19 symptoms for someone who has contracted the virus.
The research, led by Dr. David Boulware, builds on findings published in June, which determined that hydroxychloroquine is not able to prevent COVID-19 in the first place.
"There is no convincing evidence that hydroxychloroquine can either prevent COVID-19 after exposure or reduce illness severity after developing early symptoms," said Caleb Skipper, one of the lead authors on the paper. "While disappointing, these results are consistent with an emerging body of literature that hydroxychloroquine doesn't convey a substantial clinical benefit in people diagnosed with COVID-19 -- despite its activity against the virus in a test tube.
Hydroxychloroquine is a commonly used anti-malaria drug, which has been promoted by President Donald Trump, despite the scientific evidence which proves its ineffectiveness.
The university's research was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and enrolled 491 non-hospitalized adults across the United States and three Canadian provinces. Half of the participants received five days of hydroxychloroquine while the other half received five days of a placebo. They were then monitored for two weeks to see how quickly symptoms developed or receded.
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