Efficacy and safety of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in moderate
type of COVID-19: a prospective open-label randomized controlled study

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.19.20136093

The clinical utility of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19 was evaluated (ChiCTR2000030054). Forty-eight patients with moderate COVID-19 were randomized to oral treatment with chloroquine (1000 mg QD on Day 1, then 500 mg QD for 9 days; n=18), HCQ (200 mg BID for 10 days; n=18), or control treatment (n=12).  Adverse events were more commonly observed in the chloroquine group (44.44%) and the HCQ group (50.00%) than in the control group (16.67%). The chloroquine group achieved shorter time to clinical recovery (TTCR) than the control group (P=0.019). There was a trend toward reduced TTCR in the HCQ group (P=0.049). The time to reach viral RNA negativity was significantly faster in the chloroquine group and the HCQ group than in the control group (P=0.006 and P=0.010, respectively). The median numbers of days to reach RNA negativity in the chloroquine, HCQ and control groups was 2.5 (IQR: 2.0-3.8) days, 2.0 (IQR: 2.0-3.5) days, and 7.0 (IQR: 3.0-10.0) days, respectively. The chloroquine and HCQ groups also showed trends toward improvement in the duration of hospitalization and findings on lung computerized tomography (CT). This study provides evidence that (hydroxy)chloroquine may be used effectively in treating moderate COVID-19 and supports larger trials.

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