(01 May 2020) Hydroxychloroquine – decreased mortality in critically ill COVID patients

Hydroxychloroquine application is associated with a decreased mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.27.20073379

Data from a retrospective study on  568 critically ill COVID-19 patients suggests that hydroxychloroquine could be used to treat
critically ill patients with COVID-19 which may save a lot of lives. Mortalities were 18.8% (9/48) in HCQ group and 45.8% (238/520) in NHCQ group (p<0.001).  The level of inflammatory cytokine IL-6 was significantly lowered from 22.2 (8.3-118.9) pg/mL at the beginning of the treatment to 5.2 (3.0-23.4) pg/ml (p<0.05) at the end of the treatment in the HCQ group but there is no change in the NHCQ group. Hydroxychloroquine treatment is significantly associated with a decreased mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19 through attenuation of inflammatory cytokine storm.