Hydroxychloroquine Lowers Coronavirus Death Rate: Study

DETROIT, MI — Treatment with the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine lowered the death rate significantly in patients hospitalized with the coronavirus, according to a new study published by Henry Ford Health System.

The study examined 2,541 people hospitalized between March 10 and May 2 across the Henry Ford's six hospitals and found 13 percent of people treated with just hydroxychloroquine died compared to 26.4 percent not treated with hydroxychloroquine.

“The findings have been highly analyzed and peer-reviewed,” said Dr. Marcus Zervos, division head of Infectious Disease for Henry Ford Health System, who co-authored the study with Henry Ford epidemiologist Dr. Samia Arshad. “We attribute our findings that differ from other studies to early treatment, and part of a combination of interventions that were done in supportive care of patients, including careful cardiac monitoring. Our dosing also differed from other studies not showing a benefit of the drug. And other studies are either not peer reviewed, have limited numbers of patients, different patient populations or other differences from our patients.”

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The study was published Thursday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the peer-reviewed, open-access online publication of the International Society of Infectious Diseases.

None of the patients had documented serious heart issues, but patients were monitored for a heart condition routinely pointed to as a reason to avoid the drug as a treatment for the coronavirus, according to the health system.

Hospital officials said the majority of patients received the drug soon after admission; 82 percent within 24 hours and 91 percent within 48 hours of admission. All patients in the study were 18 or over with a median age of 64 years; 51 percent were men and 56 percent African American.

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Zervos said the potential for a surge in the fall or sooner, and infections continuing worldwide, show an urgency to identifying inexpensive and effective therapies and preventions. In Michigan as of Wednesday, more than 64,000 cases of the coronavirus had been reported. The virus has also claimed the lives of nearly 6,000 Michiganders.

“We’re glad to add to the scientific knowledge base on the role and how best to use therapies as we work around the world to provide insight,” he said. “Considered in the context of current studies on the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, our results suggest that the drug may have an important role to play in reducing COVID-19 mortality.”

The study also found those treated with azithromycin alone or a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin also fared slightly better than those not treated with the drugs, according to the Henry Ford data. The analysis found 22.4 percent of patients treated only with azithromycin died, and 20.1 percent treated with a combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine died, compared to 26.4 percent of patients dying who were not treated with either medication.

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“Our analysis shows that using hydroxychloroquine helped saves lives,” said neurosurgeon Dr. Steven Kalkanis, CEO, Henry Ford Medical Group and Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of Henry Ford Health System. “As doctors and scientists, we look to the data for insight. And the data here is clear that there was benefit to using the drug as a treatment for sick, hospitalized patients.”

Overall, hospital system patients in the study experienced an 18.1% in-hospital mortality rate.
The health system said patients who died commonly had serious underlying diseases, including chronic kidney and lung disease, with 88 percent dying from respiratory failure.

Globally, the overall mortality from SARS-COV-2 is estimated to be approximately 6-7 percent, with mortality in hospitalized patients ranging between 10-30 percent, according to the study. Mortality as high as 58 percent has been seen among patients requiring ICU care and mechanical ventilation.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, hydroxychloroquine is a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved arthritis medicine that also can be used to prevent or treat malaria.

The drug, which has been repeatedly referenced by President Donald Trump, has been controversial in some circles, especially following some reports of severe side effects that could be deadly to people with the coronavirus.

However, a significant study that suggested dangers stemmed from use of the drug was retracted by its authors in early June, according to The Washington Post.

Zervos said that the study results should be interpreted with some caution, should not be applied to patients treated outside of hospital settings and require further confirmation in prospective, randomized controlled trials that rigorously evaluate the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine therapy for the coronavirus.

“Currently, the drug should be used only in hospitalized patients with appropriate monitoring, and as part of study protocols, in accordance with all relevant federal regulations,” Dr. Zervos said.