Researchers and virologists in France have completed a clinical trial studying the effects of hydroxychloroquine, used to treat arthritis, malaria, and other ailments, on patients with COVID-19. Researchers treated a total of 26 coronavirus patients with the drug, including six that were given the antibiotic azithromycin, as well.
The researchers released their findings in a
study published on Wednesday. The results showed that all six patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin tested negative for the virus after six days. Of the 20 treated with just hydroxychloroquine, 57.1% tested negative for the coronavirus after six days. Just 12.5% of the control group made up of 16 other patients tested negative.
"Despite its small sample size our survey shows that hydroxychloroquine treatment is significantly associated with viral load reduction/disappearance in COVID-19 patients and its effect is reinforced by azithromycin," the study said.
Didier Raoult, an infectious disease expert from l’Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire in Marseille, led the research team that conducted the study. Gregory Rigano, an adviser to the Stanford University School of Medicine SPARK Translational Research Program, is leading a
program based on Raoult’s results to study the effects of hydroxychloroquine on treating COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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