Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for COVID-19: no evidence of effectiveness

On 3 March 2020, the document 'Drug treatment options for patients with COVID-19 (infections with SARS-CoV-2)' was published on the website of the Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy (Stichting Werkgroep Antibioticabeleid, SWAB) Based on a 7-step analysis of the literature, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ) were initially included in the SWAB document as possible drug treatments for hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients However, recent weeks have seen the publication of the results of various studies into the effectiveness of treatment with HCQ and CQ in patients with COVID-19 On the basis of these results, we conclude that there is insufficient evidence to consider HCQ and CQ as meaningful treatment options in patients with COVID-19 Clinically relevant QTc prolongation occurs in at least 1 in 10 COVID-19 patients treated with HCQ or HQ