Hydroxychloroquine Falls Flat as COVID-19 Treatment

An expert panel of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recommended against the use of hydroxychloroquine with antibiotic azithromycin outside of clinical trials for COVID-19 treatments.

The NIH panel recommended against the combination because of the potential toxicity and the increased risk of heart problems.

The panel did not make any recommendation on the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine alone, citing insufficient evidence.

In other news, a nationwide study of 368 male veterans hospitalized at Veterans Health Administration medical centers found an increased risk of mortality in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine vs. the standard of care.