An expert panel advising the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a strong recommendation against the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.
Guidelines published in the British Medical Journal this week use findings from six trials with more than 6,000 participants, and ‘high evidence’ found that the anti-malarial drug ‘had little or no effect’ on deaths and admissions to the hospital while it was ‘moderate’. safety evidence ‘found little effect on laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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The medicine is no longer considered a research priority, the panel said. (iStock)
“The panel believes that this remedy is no longer a research priority and that resources should rather be directed to evaluate other more promising remedies to prevent COVID,” the guidance reads. The recommendations apply to anyone without COVID-19, whether or not they have been exposed to the virus.
“The panel has judged that almost all people will not consider this drug worthwhile,” the guidance continues. The recommendations are part of a ‘living guideline’ available for updates by the WHO and support from the MAGIC Evidence Ecosystem Foundation.
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The International Health Agency announced in October last year that four drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, had ‘little or no effect’ on patients in hospital.
Former President Trump told reporters in May 2020 that he was taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus. Trump added that he consulted with the former White House doctor before starting to take the medicine. Dr Sean Conley announced in a statement: ‘After numerous discussions he and I had about the evidence for and against the use of hydroxychloroquine, we have come to the conclusion that the potential benefit of treatment outweighs the relative risks. ‘
Fox News’ Andrew Reilly contributed to this report.