Hydroxychloroquine has been presented as a possible treatment for coronavirus (File)
Geneva:
Hydroxychloroquine may be excluded as treatment for COVID-19 inpatients – but the World Health Organization said Thursday that it was aware of ongoing trials on its value as a preventative measure.
A decades-old drug for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis, hydroxychloroquine has been at the center of political and scientific controversy.
On Wednesday, WHO decided to stop testing the drug for new patients with coronavirus in the hospital, after evidence from its own work and others that had no effect on reducing the rate mortality.
But the UN health agency said on Thursday that the evidence from non-WHO trials as to whether or not it could be useful in preventing the virus was not yet finished.
“Regarding the use of hydroxychloroquine for the prophylaxis or prevention of COVID-19 – before or after exposure – the last word is not out yet,” said Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at WHO, during a virtual press conference.
“There are good and big trials going on, and hopefully they will be finished so that we have the kind of evidence we need to make sure that patients get the drugs that help – and don’t get drugs that don’t help. “
Hydroxychloroquine has been touted as a possible treatment for the new coronavirus by prominent figures, including US President Donald Trump.
The drug has been included in several randomized clinical trials – considered the gold standard for clinical investigation – but WHO said the evidence had led it to spend time on its own trials.
“What is clear now is that hydroxychloroquine has not – we know for sure now – has no impact on disease mortality in COVID-19 hospital patients,” said Swaminathan, an Indian pediatrician.
“Where there is still a gap, does this have a role to play in preventing, or minimizing the severity of early infection? We don’t know yet,” she said. declared.
Hydroxychloroquine has been tested in healthcare professionals and other subjects exposed to increased exposure to the virus in large randomized trials.
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
