Quote:
Originally Posted by T3rminator
The New England Journal of Medicine study on hydroxxxxx for mild to moderate cases.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2019014
"A total of 18 patients died in the hospital during the trial (5 patients assigned to receive hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin, 7 in the hydroxychloroquine-alone group, and 6 in the control group). There were no significant between-group differences with regard to the secondary outcomes of thromboembolic complications or acute kidney injury within 15 days, either in the prespecified analyses (Table 2) or in post hoc analyses that accounted for the competing risk of death (Table S11)." |
I like this bit.....
Our trial has several limitations. First, although the point estimate of effect suggests no major difference between the groups with respect to the primary outcome,
the trial cannot definitively rule out either a substantial benefit of the trial drugs or a substantial harm. For the comparison between hydroxychloroquine and control, for example, our data are compatible with odds ratios as low as 0.69 and as high as 2.11.
Second, the trial was not blinded. Third, despite intense efforts to maintain adherence to the assigned treatments, a lack of medications that were perceived as beneficial by clinicians and patients led to
some protocol deviations. Fourth, the use of hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin was widespread among patients hospitalized with Covid-19 in participating hospitals. The enrollment of patients with no previous use of these medications was challenging, so we decided to enroll patients provided that their previous use since the onset of symptoms was limited to 24 hours. Finally, although the median time from symptom onset to randomization was 7 days, we included patients up to 14 days after the beginning of symptoms; it is conceivable that interventions that may limit viral replication (e.g., hydroxychloroquine)
may be more effective earlier in the course of the disease.