Hydroxychloroquine (HC) has been used over 65 years with billions of doses administered. All prescription medicines have side effects – some more severe than others. The side effects of HC are listed as headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, rash, and more.
Early successes were reported from Europe using HC in treating COVID-19. The FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to conduct studies of HC in the treatment of COVID-19. In early July, the FDA authorized HC to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients. At that time, there were reports of serious heart rhythm, blood and lymph system disorders, kidney damage, and liver issues.
Two weeks later, The FDA revoked the EUA for using HC as a treatment for COVID-19. Large randomized clinical trials reported that HC was not effective and showed no benefit regarding reducing hospitalization time nor decrease in death rates.
Just prior to the revocation of the FDA’s EUA, data from global studies outside the United States prompted a groundswell of medical researchers and professionals to challenge the results of the HC testing reported in the Lancet. The Lancet is a peer-reviewed general medical journal that has been published since 1829. HC was now a drug that no one wanted to touch to treat COVID-19.
A short time later, Lancet conducted an audit of the studies and discovered errors in many areas of testing, reporting, and validity. The Lancet retracted its report and attempted to end the scandal associated with HC and COVID-19.
In early July, a peer-reviewed, open-access study was announced by the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. It described the results of 2,541 COVID-19 patients treated at the Henry Ford Health System had cut the death rate significantly without heart-related side effects.
Six hospitals participated in this study over a nearly two-month period. 13% of those COVID-19 patients treated with HC died compared to 26.4% of those untreated. That is a 50% reduction in COVID-19 mortality. No serious heart problems as mentioned in previous studies were present. The HC patients were monitored after leaving the hospital for potential heart issues. These studies have been peer-reviewed and actively analyzed.
The Henry Ford Health System believes that early treatment with dosages differing from previous studies using HC support COVID-19 treatment, health, and recovery. Many countries are expecting surges in new cases, much as the United States is seeing at present. The treatment regimen used by the Henry Ford Health System can be effective in combatting the anticipated surge of COVID-19 in the fall and winter of 2020.
These results counter the FDA studies in that HC was a benefit in the treatment of sick and hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Was it the dosage size, timing, the number of treatments, the number of patients, or other factors that resulted in the early disqualification of HC and subsequent banning by the FDA? I do not know.
My guess is that analyses are still ongoing since the FDA has not reported the reacceptance of HC for treating COVID-19 patients. The FDA has not removed HC’s approval for use in treating malaria and arthritis. HC is a prescription drug in the United States and sold generically as Plaquenil elsewhere.
The Henry Ford Health System in-hospital mortality rate for COVID-19 patients was 18.1%. Chronic kidney, lung, respiratory, and related pre-existing conditions were most often found in those who died with or of COVID-19.
The global mortality rate is around 6.5% as currently reported. Specifically looking at those hospitalized in the elder community of patients, the mortality rate is between 10-30% and as high as nearly 60% when patients are on ventilators.
The Henry Ford Health System strongly recommends HC treatment only in monitored hospital settings. Another study is being conducted using HC prophylactically to impede or prevent COVID-19. It is a 3,000-person, randomized, double-blind study for healthcare and other front-line workers.
Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com
My understanding is that Hydroxychloroquine is only effective if used early on in treatment of Covid-19. If used in later phases of treatment it is not effective. I have also seen reports that it need be used in conjunction with zinc to be most effective.
Ike, yes! I did not go into the details of what the Henry Ford system was doing, but the treatments started Day 1 and not later than Day 2. Good call!