New clinical review casts doubt on use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19
In its May issue, The FASEB Journal is publishing a comprehensive review on the science and clinical experiences with the drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, first introduced as effective weapons against malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and the autoimmune disease lupus. Recent anecdotal reports suggested these drugs might be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. This new review describes the growing skepticism regarding adoption of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the respiratory infection caused by this virus.
The review's lead author is Mark Poznansky, MD, PhD, a Harvard Medical School associate professor and director of the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center in the Infectious Disease Division of Massachusetts General Hospital. "When I went on service a few weeks ago in the ICUs of Massachusetts General Hospital as an infectious diseases attending physician, it was evident to me and my colleagues that there were both risks and benefits of the widespread initial use of hydroxychloroquine in the context of COVID-19 infection. This was based on seeing patients who, for whatever reason, appeared to be doing poorly despite the use of this medication," Poznansky said.
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