Huge observational study that just came out in @lancet on 96,032 #COVID19 patients including 14,888 treated with #hydroxychroloquine HCQ or CQ ± AZ showing no benefit against #COVID19 but significant increase of serious adverse cardiac effects (QTc)

https://www.thelancet.com/lancet/article/s0140673620311806?utm_campaign=tlcoronavirus20&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Couple of comments: first the methods

1/ This is a well performed observational study, multi centric (671 hospitals, 6 continents), well powered => Gives more insights than a small double blind RCT
2/ confounding factors well controlled with separate match control groups

The groups in terms of demographic are all comparable giving high confidence in the results

Results shows increase in death without any benefit or whatsoever of the 4 treatment regimen but serious side effects for CQ and HCQ (worse for CQ) with increase arrhythmia and coronary artery diseases > 2 folds and not by chance

In short from this large study #hydroxychloroquine or #chloroquine treatment shows no benefit and more harm to #COVID19 patients. To put into perspective all this hype came from a very poorly performed French study with n= ~ 20 patients

There are to date > 200 clinical trials on #Hydroxychloroquine for #COVID19. Again, I believe it is time to stop with this treatment regimen and move on to more promising treatments and avoid harms to patients. In my view it is not ethical to pursue those studies