Low dose of hydroxychloroquine reduces fatality of critically ill
patients with COVID-19

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11427-020-1732-2

In this retrospective study,  550 critically ill COVID-19 patients who need
mechanical ventilation in Tongji Hospital, Wuhan were included. All 550 patients received comparable basic treatments including antiviral drugs and antibiotics, and 48 of them were treated with oral HCQ treatment (200 mg twice a day for 7–10 days) in addition to the basic treatments. Primary endpoint was fatality of patients, and inflammatory cytokine levels
were compared between HCQ and non-hydroxychloroquine (NHCQ) treatments. Fatalities were 18.8%  in HCQ group, which is significantly lower than 47.4% in the NHCQ group (P<0.001).  The levels of inflammatory cytokine IL-6 were significantly reduced from 22.2  pg/ mL at the beginning of the treatment to 5.2 pg /mL  at the end of the treatment in the HCQ group but there was no change in the NHCQ group. These data demonstrate that addition of HCQ on top of the basic treatments is highly effective in reducing the fatality of critically ill patients of COVID-19 through attenuation of inflammatory cytokine storm. Therefore, HCQ should be prescribed as a part of treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients, with possible outcome of saving lives.

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