Response to: Hydroxychloroquine ineffective for COVID-19 prophylaxis in lupus and rheumatoid arthritis' by Singer et al

Abstract

The viewpoint of Graef et al resonates more each day. In a pandemic where the cries for certainty were met with a flow of mixed early study results, they admonish festina lente (‘make haste slowly‘)! Since Graef, there have been many studies of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for treating COVID-19. These include a randomised controlled trial of 150 mild-to-moderate patients and three large observational studies, all inpatient studies that failed to show benefit of HCQ treatment for COVID-19. Now a new inpatient study, with >80% administered HCQ within 24 hours, finds HCQ associated with substantial mortality reduction. Festina lente indeed! A look at HCQ as prophylaxis, where its long half-life can be leveraged, may help...