New Study Shows Trump-Promoted Drug Hydroxychloroquine Has No Benefit For Coronavirus Patients

According to a study conducted by the U.S. Veterans Health Administration medical centers, hydroxychloroquine has shown to be not beneficial in treating the coronavirus. 

The study proved that patients who took the drug were no less likely to need a ventilator and patients who used it had a higher death rate than those who did not. 

Despite the findings, the study posted on Tuesday to medrxiv.org was not peer reviewed or published in a medical journal. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the University of Virginia.

The study looked at 368 patients, 97 of which took hydroxychloroquine. Those who took hydroxychloroquine had a 27.8% death rate. The 158 patients who didn’t take hydroxychloroquine had a 1.4% death rate.

The authors of the study wrote, “An association of increased overall mortality was identified in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone. These findings highlight the importance of awaiting the results of ongoing prospective, randomized, controlled studies before widespread adoption of these drugs.”

The researchers, who work at the Columbia VA Health Care System in South Carolina, the University of South Carolina and the University of Virginia, also tested if the drug worked in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin. 

“In this study, we found no evidence that use of hydroxychloroquine, either with or without azithromycin, reduced the risk of mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalized with Covid-19,” the authors wrote.

President Donald Trump, despite not having medical evidence, has repeatedly suggested hydroxychloroquine be used to treat those with the coronavirus. He has called the drug a “game changer” and has said it shows “tremendous promise.”