WHO To Resume Hydroxychloroquine’s Coronavirus Trials After Study Based On Which It Was Stopped Turns Out To Be Dubious

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on June 3 said that it is resuming hydroxychloroquine coronavirus trials days after temporarily suspending trial of the drug over safety concerns , news agency AFP reported.

“On the basis of the available mortality data... the executive group will communicate with the principal investigators in the trial about resuming the hydroxychloroquine arm,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news briefing.

The WHO has previously recommended against using hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent coronavirus infections, except as part of clinical trials.

Earlier yesterday (Jun 2), two of the world’s leading medical journals, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine , expressed serious concern about flaws in the data produced by a small firm that the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine is not safe in Covid-19 option. The two journals had published the study.

The finding led to the pause of an important study of hydroxychloroquine by the World Health Organization.

A case-controlled investigation of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has revealed that consumption of four or more maintenance doses of hydroxychloroquine has led to a significant decline in the chances of the health workers getting infected with COVID-19.

According to the findings of a new study by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, the sustained intake of HCQ prophylaxis as well as appropriate PPE use lowers the risk of Covid-19 infection for healthcare workers.

National COVID-19 Task Force in India had earlier recommended Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a repurposed antimalarial drug, as prophylaxis, to mitigate the added risk of healthcare workers contracting COVID-19.