More deaths, no benefit from malaria drug in VA virus study

[Michael]

More deaths, no benefit from malaria drug in VA virus study

A malaria drug widely touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus showed no benefit in a large analysis of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals. There were more deaths among those given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care, researchers reported.

The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, it’s the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin for COVID-19, which has killed more than 171,000 people as of Tuesday.

Well, that was an interesting larger study of hydroxycloroquine, but unfortunately it seemed to do more harm than good.

 

[Subduction Zone]

More deaths, no benefit from malaria drug in VA virus study



Well, that was an interesting larger study of hydroxycloroquine, but unfortunately it seemed to do more harm than good.

Quoting from your link:

"The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, it’s the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin for COVID-19, which has killed more than 171,000 people as of Tuesday."

How many true believers will misinterpret this bit of honesty? It is admitted that the study could be larger. But of all of the studies to date it is the largest and most thorough of studies. I think that we will still see people grasping at straws, rather than realizing that though there is a very small chance that HCQ works it is a much better idea to go back to the drawing board.

 

[Michael]

Quoting from your link:

"The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, it’s the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin for COVID-19, which has killed more than 171,000 people as of Tuesday."

How many true believers will misinterpret this bit of honesty? It is admitted that the study could be larger. But of all of the studies to date it is the largest and most thorough of studies. I think that we will still see people grasping at straws, rather than realizing that though there is a very small chance that HCQ works it is a much better idea to go back to the drawing board.

There are other drugs being studied of course, and people *are* indeed grasping at straws because there are no known cures yet. I'm all for trying different approaches to see what works and what doesn't, but it's premature to suggest that anything 'works' at the moment.

 

[cow451]

Hey, now. None of the subjects got malaria, right? Stop being so negative.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Hey, now. None of the subjects got malaria, right? Stop being so negative.

And very few elephants were spotted in the vicinity as well.

 

[trunks2k]

And very few elephants were spotted in the vicinity as well.

But what about bears?

 

[sesquiterpene]

Quoting from your link:

"The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, it’s the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin for COVID-19, which has killed more than 171,000 people as of Tuesday."

How many true believers will misinterpret this bit of honesty? It is admitted that the study could be larger. But of all of the studies to date it is the largest and most thorough of studies. I think that we will still see people grasping at straws, rather than realizing that though there is a very small chance that HCQ works it is a much better idea to go back to the drawing board.

There are also more rigorous - i.e. prospective, randomized- trials underway and we will hopefully have results reasonably soon, perhaps within a month. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 120 clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine, although a few have been cancelled and many might exist only on paper:
Search of: Hydroxychloroquine | covid-19 - List Results - ClinicalTrials.gov

 

[sfs]

Unfortunately, the fact that we haven't heard results from any of the case-control studies that are underway suggests that none of the drugs being tried has a major effect. If a treatment were obviously working, the trial would be stopped and everyone enrolled in it given the treatment.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Why would Trump lie? No, the cure works, the President says so; he has stock in the company for crying out loud.