Oxford study says Hydroxychloroquine is not helping COVID-19 patients (Representative image)
Coronavirus has currently no vaccine or medicine that effectively eliminates the infection. A ray of hope was briefly seen as Hydroxychloroquine was touted to work against Covid-19. What's more, US President Donald Trump himself promoted the drug through his statements. But for all the publicity Hydroxychloroquine may have got, it may finally have come to light that the drug does NOT offer us a decisive edge in fight against coronavirus.
A big study carried out by Oxford University in UK did not find decisive evidence that Hydroxychloroquine was helping coronavirus patients more effectively than those given other drugs.
In this study, more than 11,000 patients were given variety of treatments, some of which involved use of Hydroxychloroquine. After 28 days, it was found that 25.7 per cent of the patients on Hydroxychloroquine had died as compared to 23.5 per cent patients who were given usual care. Statistically, this difference is so small, it could have occurred by chance.
These results “convincingly rule out any meaningful mortality benefit,” leaders of the study at Oxford were quoted as saying by ABC news.
Hydroxychloroquine has been long used to treat malaria but its effectiveness against Covid-19 is still under question. One of the side-effects of Hydroxychloroquine is heart rhythm problems.
Results of this study have not been published as yet.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently carrying out study on effectiveness of Hydroxychloroquine against coronavirus. WHO chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was quoted by ABC News as saying that WHO will consider results of Oxford study when they are available but for now WHO will continue with its own study.
ALSO READ | Trump slams China, says COVID-19 a 'very bad gift'
