(16 May 2020) Hydroxychloroquine- no evidence for negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2

Hydroxychloroquine in patients with mainly mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019: open label, randomised controlled trial

https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1849 

This study (conducted during the outbreak of covid-19 in China -ChiCTR2000029868) is the first randomised controlled trial evaluating administration of hydroxychloroquine in patients with covid-19. The probability of negative conversion by 28 days in the standard of care plus hydroxychloroquine group was 85.4%  similar to that in the standard of care group 81.3%.  In the safety population, adverse events were recorded more in hydroxychloroquine recipients.The findings do not provide evidence to support an increase in the probability of negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 conferred by the addition of hydroxychloroquine administration to the current standard of care in patients admitted to hospital with mainly persistent mild to moderate covid-19.