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Use of Hydroxychloroquine in hospitalised COVID-19 patients is associated with reduced mortality: Findings from the observational multicentre Italian CORIST study
Europian Journal of Internal Medicine ^

Posted on 10/04/2020 8:53:10 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Abstract

Background

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was proposed as potential treatment for COVID-19.

Objective

We set-up a multicenter Italian collaboration to investigate the relationship between HCQ therapy and COVID-19 in-hospital mortality.

Methods

In a retrospective observational study, 3,451 unselected patients hospitalized in 33 clinical centers in Italy, from February 19, 2020 to May 23, 2020, with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, were analyzed. The primary end-point in a time-to event analysis was in-hospital death, comparing patients who received HCQ with patients who did not. We used multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression models with inverse probability for treatment weighting by propensity scores, with the addition of subgroup analyses.

Results

Out of 3,451 COVID-19 patients, 76.3% received HCQ. Death rates (per 1,000 person-days) for patients receiving or not HCQ were 8.9 and 15.7, respectively. After adjustment for propensity scores, we found 30% lower risk of death in patients receiving HCQ (HR=0.70; 95%CI: 0.59 to 0.84; E-value=1.67). Secondary analyses yielded similar results. The inverse association of HCQ with inpatient mortality was particularly evident in patients having elevated C-reactive protein at entry.

Conclusions

HCQ use was associated with a 30% lower risk of death in COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Within the limits of an observational study and awaiting results from randomized controlled trials, these data do not discourage the use of HCQ in inpatients with COVID-19.

(Excerpt) Read more at ejinme.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: corona; covid19; hcq; hydroxychloroquine; italianstudy; quack

1 posted on 10/04/2020 8:53:10 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: Mrs. Don-o; tellw; Huskrrrr; Jane Long; Freedom'sWorthIt; Freedom56v2; BDParrish; Phx_RC

Ping as per your request


2 posted on 10/04/2020 8:53:32 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Why didn't Trump use it?

Why didn't he keep using it as a prophylactic? I assume he didn't because it wouldn't have worked if he did

3 posted on 10/04/2020 8:58:45 PM PDT by Captainpaintball
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To: Captainpaintball

His physicians did not recommend HCQ ( but did include Zinc in the protocol ). Trump isn’t going to argue with his doctors.

There is NOT ONE way to treat Covid-19. There are many ways. Some more expensive by orders of magnitude than others.

And look at the therapy they gave him -— an as of now still now FDA approved drug from Regeneron. How much would this cost the ordinary patient vs. the Hydroxychloroquine cocktail?

Not everyone is the President of the United States.

Even Congressman Louie Gohmert credited Hydroxcychloroquine with his quick recovery when he was infected with Covid-19. So did Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.


4 posted on 10/04/2020 9:07:18 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: Captainpaintball
The Hydroxychloroquine cocktail is NOT a quack treatment.

Many scientific publications have provided detailed information demonstrating the proper and effective use of HCQ that has already saved millions of lives worldwide in this pandemic and could save millions more. A Belgium study of 8,075 hospitalized patients found a 65% reduction. Likewise, a recent study from Saudi Arabia found 43% fewer hospitalizations and 45% fewer ICU admissions. For high-risk nursing home patients in Spain HCQ cut the risk of a bad outcome in half.

A large Henry Ford Hospital System study found a mortality rate for 2,541 patients of 13.5% for HCQ alone, 20.1% for HCQ plus azithromycin, and 26.4% for neither.

A new analysis by R. Clinton Ohlers is title, "Effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine was hiding in plain sight." An early widely publicized study concluded that HCQ was not effective in New York patients. In truth: "Survival rates for hospitalized patients who received the drug approached 85%" and "with azithromycin the survival rate rose as high as 90%." Without either drug, "survival fell to levels as low as 53%." Conclusion: "a highly effective, inexpensive, and widely available treatment for COVID-19 is already in hand."

Similarly, Dr. Watanabe from Brazil reanalyzed a Minnesota study that had a negative conclusion. For very early HCQ use, he found that "reduction in symptomatic outcomes is 72% after 0 days (first day of infection), 48.9% after 1 day and 29.3% after 2 days" – all compared to a placebo group. Conclusion: "Infected patients may have a large benefit if treated as early as possible."

Clearly, many media-hyped studies saying HCQ has no benefits are not credible. Some medical journal papers were retracted.

An article by physician Norman Doidge is "Hydroxychloroquine: A Morality Tale – A startling investigation into how a cheap, well-known drug became a political football in the midst of a pandemic." Conclusion: "Worldwide [HCQ] might save a million or more people before COVID is tamed." Some studies were poorly designed. In one case "the patients were given the medication late – on average 16.6 days after the first symptoms."

Another important study is: "Early treatment with hydroxychloroquine: a country-based analysis." Critical conclusion: The death rate from the virus in a number of nations where HCQ has been made widely available (the treatment group) is about 74% less than in those nations, including the U.S., where it has not been made available (the control group).

Many physicians and experts on viruses have published strong pro-HCQ articles, notably Dr. Harvey Risch from Yale University. He has repeatedly argued for using HCQ as the standard outpatient therapy. This article is for a general audience. In a medical journal article, he warned against "sitting by and letting hundreds of thousands die because we did not have the courage to act according to our rational calculations."

Experienced pro-HCQ front-line doctors have appeared on Fox News shows, including Dr. Stephen Smith, Dr, Marc Siegel (whose 96-year-old father was saved with HCQ), Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Risch who noted, "We're basically fighting a propaganda war against the medical facts" and that "75,000 to 100,000 lives will be saved" if the national HCQ stockpile were used. Fox's Sean Hannity had Dr. George Fareed, an early user of HCQ, on a recent radio show.

A new CDC publication reveals prescriptions for HCQ at retail stores (not mail order). In March through June this year there likely were 680,000 prescriptions for treating the virus. After the government clamp down, prescriptions in May and June averaged 80,000 a month. This limited use may help explain many reduced death rates.

And despite negative actions by some governments and the World Health Organization, the Sermo survey of physicians in 30 countries found for this September that HCQ is being used for 22% of patients outside hospitals, 21% inside them and even 14% in ICUs.

4. Problems with Fauci's Positions

Dr. Fauci is only satisfied with randomized control trials (RCTs). This position has been sharply debunked, as has the assertion of negative health effects and that HCQ risks outweigh its benefits.

Thomas R. Frieden, former head of the CDC, concluded in 2017: "Despite their strengths, RCTs have substantial limitations." He supported using many other kinds of data that now constitute the evidence for using HCQ.

Similarly, Norman Doidge observed: "RCT is best understood as standing not for Randomized Control Trials, but rather 'Rigidly Constrained Thinking.' in the current COVID-19 situation … we cannot simply, as so many are insisting [namely Fauci], rely only on the long-awaited RCTs to decide how to treat COVID-19."

Importantly, hundreds of drugs have been approved without RCTs, including hydrocortisone, Lasix, tetanus vaccine, insulin, tetracycline, warfarin, heparin, prednisone, half of chemotherapy drugs used in cancer and uses of HCQ for many diseases, such as malaria and lupus.

Another false criticism has recently been debunked: "HCQ decreases cardiac events. HCQ should not be restricted in COVID-19 patients out of fear of cardiac mortality." Another study concluded: "HCQ administration is safe for a short-term treatment for patients with COVID-19 … causing … no directly attributable arrhythmic deaths." Dr. James Todaro concluded: "It is highly unlikely that fatal cardiac cases are from hydroxychloroquine use. It is far more likely that the disease itself is the cause of arrhythmias and cardiac injury during the hyperinflammation phase of severe cases of COVID-19."

An article by Steven Hatfill, "Why Is The Media Suppressing Information About Hydroxychloroquine's Effectiveness Against COVID?" noted, "There are now 53 studies that show positive results of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 infections." It also highlights the early Fauci and FDA strategy that promoted use of HCQ for hospitalized patients (when it was mostly too late) rather than early outpatient use.

The Doidge article noted that for a major study that found a 66% reduction in hospital deaths from use of HCQ, Fauci "didn't seem excited." The key question: "Why should anyone facing a pandemic wish to discredit potentially lifesaving medications?" The answer: The billions of dollars to be made from selling medications and vaccines. Fauci has had a very close relationship with pharmaceutical companies and has patents for one of the leading vaccines being tested by Moderna.

In August three-front line physicians wrote a detailed open letter to Fauci making the medical case for unblocking widespread use of HCQ. "You are largely unchallenged in terms of your medical opinions. You are the de facto COVID-19 Czar. … Americans must not continue to die unnecessarily. Adults must resume employment and our youth return to school. Locking down America while awaiting an imperfect vaccine has done far more damage to Americans than the coronavirus."

An important article by an epidemiologist rebutted the explanation by Fauci of why he rejects the incredible amount of evidence supporting use of HCQ. Conclusion: "I earnestly hope that Dr. Fauci reconsiders his opposition to HCQ and restores his hitherto considerable reputation."

5 posted on 10/04/2020 9:08:50 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Even Congressman Louie Gohmert credited Hydroxcychloroquine with his quick recovery when he was infected with Covid-19. So did Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

I know this. Once again, I see this as yet ANOTHER blown opportunity by Trump. Although I do not know his EXACT condition, my guess is that he was not in need of a ventilator and could have benefited from something he was furiously PROMOTING for MONTHS. Instead he gets an EXPERIMENTAL cocktail from possible deepstaters! I know Conley seems OK, but...

6 posted on 10/04/2020 9:46:59 PM PDT by Captainpaintball
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To: SeekAndFind

Yep, I think I read a story suggesting that even a nicotine may be helpful a few months back.


7 posted on 10/05/2020 2:05:06 AM PDT by Bayard
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To: SeekAndFind
HCQ is NOT approved by the FDA for use against Covid.

It was at one point.

8 posted on 10/05/2020 2:34:43 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Captainpaintball

https://aapsonline.org/fda-delays-on-hcq-outpatient-approval-are-causing-deaths-daily/


9 posted on 10/05/2020 2:41:09 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: SeekAndFind

Thanks for this summary post.


10 posted on 10/05/2020 2:46:30 AM PDT by Freedom'sWorthIt
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To: SeekAndFind

TDS kills!


11 posted on 10/05/2020 3:04:14 AM PDT by FroggyTheGremlim (I'll be good, I will, I will!)
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