More studies are emerging proving that the anti-malarial drug being endorsed by few government officials is ineffective in treating patients of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Hydroxychloroquine, with or without the combination of the antibiotic azithromycin, did not improve the conditions of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday.

Researchers in Brazil led the study of 504 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. These patients needed no supplemental oxygen or were receiving up to four liters per minute of oxygen. The study was done in 55 hospitals across Brazil.

All 504 patients were randomly assigned to have either standard of care or with combination of hydroxychloroquine doses and azithromycin doses.

The study found that neither hydroxychloroquine alone nor hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin showed to affect the condition of the patients during the period of testing.

The study also found that unusual heart rhythms and elevated liver-enzyme levels were more frequent in patients receiving the anti-malarial drug alone or with azithromycin.

The researchers concluded that "among patients hospitalized with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, the use of hydroxychloroquine, alone or with azithromycin, did not improve clinical status at 15 days as compared with standard of care."

The study was funded by the Coalition COVID-19 Brazil and a pharmaceutical company in Brazil, EMS Pharma.

Hydroxychloroquine For COVID-19

President Donald Trump and his top advisers recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who tested positive for coronavirus three times, also said he was using hydroxychloroquine to treat himself. Bolsonaro noted that he was feeling a lot better so it is working for him. He added that there are other remedies that can help fight COVID-19.

"We know none of them have their efficacy scientifically proven, but I'm one more person for whom this is working. So I trust hydroxychloroquine. And you?," Bolsonaro was quoted in a Time report.

Discontinued Use of Hydroxychloroquine

The World Health Organization (WHO) has accepted on July 4 the recommendation to discontinue the trial of hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir.

This was because interim trial results showed that hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir showed little to no reduction in the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also revoked an emergency use authorization that allowed doctors to treat COVID-19 patients with hydroxychloroquine outside clinical trials.

The White House, however, started pushing FDA to reverse course after a Detroit's Henry Ford Health System study found that death rates were lower for patients treated with the anti-malarial drug.

The National Institutes of Health also stopped a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine after they evaluated that treatment does no harm, but provides no benefit to COVID-19 patients.

What is Hydroxychloroquine?

Hydroxychloroquine is usually used to treat malaria and rheumatoid conditions like arthritis. In some studies, this drug had shown antiviral activity, which led to the hypothesis that the drug might also be effective in treating COVID-19 patients.

The drug was also known to reduce skin problems in lupus and prevent swelling or pain in arthritis.

Check these out:

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