Hydroxychloroquine Is Ineffective for Patients with Mild COVID-19

No therapies have been shown to be effective early in patients with mild disease. Investigators randomized 423 nonhospitalized patients with ≤4 days of typical COVID-19 symptoms (with either laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection or epidemiological link to a confirmed COVID-19 case) to receive 5 days of hydroxychloroquine or placebo.

Treatment and placebo groups did not differ in symptom-severity change, hospitalizations, or deaths. Hydroxychloroquine recipients had significantly more adverse effects (predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms) than did placebo recipients (43% vs. 22%; number needed to harm, 5).