Pattern of SARS-CoV-2 infection among dependant elderly residents living in long-term care facilities in Marseille, France, March–June 2020

SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics: how far do we stand from a remedy?

“…Despite a small sample size, Gautret and co-workers found that after 6 days of treatment, 100% of patients who received azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine together were negative for SARS-CoV-2; against 57.1% of those who received only hydroxychloroquine and 12.5% in the control group. Authors thus reported hydroxychloroquine as a potent drug to clear COVID-19 and found even better results when used synergistically with azithromycin [ 92 ]. In another randomised clinical trial in 62 COVID-19 patients, Chen and co-workers reported that 31 patients assigned to receive hydroxychloroquine(HCQ) showed shortened time to clinical recovery (TTCR) and improved absorption of pneumonia.…”

“…Studies against: This was contradicted when Molina and co-workers did not find any strong clinical evidence when in a prospective study, 11 severe COVID-19 patients with significant comorbidities were administered HCQ (600 mg/d for 10 days) and azithromycin (500 mg on day 1 and 250 mg on days 2–5) in the same dosage as used by Gautret and co-workers [ 92 , 94 ]. Another uncontrolled double-blinded, randomised trial in 81 patients conducted to address different treatment dosage of chloroquine in severe COVID-19 patients red-flagged the use of high dosage (12 g of CQ in total, for 10 days) due to potential safety hazard [ 95 ].…”

COVID-19: Before the Fall, An Evidence-Based Narrative Review of Treatment Options

“…Hydroxychloroquine, alone and in combination, had even more results available in late spring 2020. This initial treatment use for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine was driven by a lower quality of evidence until RCTs confirmed the lack of efficacy of the treatment [ 15 , 24 – 27 , 37 ].…”

“…One such early study, a non-randomized trial, emerged in mid-March from a group of researchers in Marseille, France, which described the preliminary use of HCQ (200 mg TID) ± azithromycin (AZI) (500 mg on day 1 followed by 250 mg per day, the next 4 days) in 26 patients compared to a control group, which received supportive care only [ 37 ]. The addition of azithromycin in this trial is interesting for its noted anti-inflammatory properties, but additional data suggested potential antiviral mechanisms [ 88 ].…”

“…The addition of azithromycin in this trial is interesting for its noted anti-inflammatory properties, but additional data suggested potential antiviral mechanisms [ 88 ]. Viral clearance in nasopharyngeal swabs was achieved in 6/6 (100%) patients in the HCQ + AZI group and 8/14 (57%) in the HCQ monotherapy group [ 37 ]. This study drove much of the fervent interest in HCQ and AZI as a potential combination therapy for COVID-19.…”