In addition to not showing effectiveness in treating COVID-19, the study also said there were no serious side effects or heart problems caused by the drug.
A new study published by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the use of the anti-malarial drug promoted by President Donald Trump is ineffective in treating COVID-19.
The double-blind study from the University of Minnesota, the first of its kind to look at hydroxychloroquine, randomly assigned 821 people to take either the drug or a placebo. Nearly half, 414 patients, were given a course of hydroxychloroquine for five days, with the remaining 407 people in the study given the placebo. Out of all patients, approximately 80 percent said they had a high-risk exposure to someone confirmed to have the disease.
The study showed that, of the placebo group, 14 percent developed COVID-19, compared to 12 percent of the group taking hydroxychloroquine. Though technically fewer patients who were taking the drug developed COVID-19, the difference is not statistically significant. No deaths were reported.
“Our data is pretty clear that for post exposure, this does not really work,” lead researcher Dr.
