A recent study conducted in France found that the combination of Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin was effective in treating SARS-CoV-2.
Patients in the study received 600 mg of hydroxychloroquine three times a day for 10 days. Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested daily with PCR. Depending on their clinical condition, azithromycin was added to the treatment. The presence or absence of virus on day six was considered the end point.
Of the patients included, six were asymptomatic, 22 had symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, and 8 had symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection.
A total of 26 patients received hydroxychloroquine, along with a control group of 16. By day 6, 100% of those treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin were virologically cured, compared with 57.1% treated with hydroxychloroquine alone and 12.5% in the control group.
These results are promising and open the possibility of an international strategy to cure the infection and reduce transmission of the virus, especially among healthcare workers. This study has limitations such as its sample size and short follow-up.
On March 19, 2020, the FDA announced approval of this combination for use in COVID-19 infections in the United States.
