key: cord-025619-vtk2ujx9
authors: nan
title: Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine increase risk of death in COVID-19
date: 2020-05-30
journal: Reactions Weekly
DOI: 10.1007/s40278-020-79019-x
sha: 
doc_id: 25619
cord_uid: vtk2ujx9

nan

Two months ago, the WHO initiated the Solidarity Trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four drugs and drug combinations against COVID-19, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, at a media briefing on COVID-19 on 25 May 2020. 2 To date, 17 of the 35 countries participating in the Solidarity Trial have enrolled nearly 3500 patients.

However, after the results of the above observational trial were published in The Lancet, the Executive Group of the Solidarity Trial met and agreed "to review a comprehensive analysis and critical appraisal of all evidence available globally," said the Director-General. The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the safety data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board, but the other treatment arms are continuing.

"This concern relates to the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19. I wish to reiterate that these drugs are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria," he said.

Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine with or without a macrolide for treatment of COVID-19: a multinational registry analysis

WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 -25

Adis © 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. All rights reserved