Research institutes from across the world are testing various drug combinations to develop a sustainable COVID-19 vaccine. Recently, hydroxychloroquine gained traction as an effective prevention of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, a few non-randomized studies suggest that the effects of hydroxychloroquine can be increased if it is given in association with azithromycin.
The objective of this research is to determine how azithromycin changes the effects of hydroxychloroquine in treating mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
A multi-center, randomized, three-group, controlled trial was conducted on hospitalized patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 at 55 hospitals in Brazil. The patients were divided into three equal segments. The first group received standard care. The second group received standard care, along with hydroxychloroquine (400 mg twice daily). The third received standard care plus hydroxychloroquine (400mg twice daily) and azithromycin (500 mg once daily). The duration of the trial was seven days.
Out of 667 patients who underwent the trial, 504 had confirmed COVID-19. When the results were compared with standard care, it was found that the patients who received hydroxychloroquine alone or the hydroxychloroquine-azithromycin combination did not show any significant difference.
The research concluded that the use of hydroxychloroquine alone or with azithromycin did not improve the clinical status of the patients when compared to standard care.
Ref: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2019014
