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Hydroxychloroquine reduces viral load in COVID-19 patients

19 March 2020 by Vincent Racaniello

HydroxychloroquineChloroquine (and a derivative, hydroxychloroquine) has been used for years in the treatment of malaria. The drug is also known to block the entry of many viruses into cells. A small clinical trial has revealed it to be effective in reducing viral loads in COVID-19 patients.

Entry of enveloped viruses into cells requires fusion of viral and cell membranes to allow release of the viral genome into the cytoplasm. In many cases, after virus particles bind to cell surface receptors, they are taken into cells via the endocytic pathway. As these vesicles move toward the nucleus, their pH drops, which catalyzes fusion of viral and cell membranes. When cells are treated with chloroquine the pH of the endosome is elevated, which prevents fusion and blocks viral infection. The reproduction of many viruses is known to be inhibited by chloroquine.

Reproduction of SARS-CoV-1 in cell culture was shown to be blocked by chloroquine in 2005, by which time there were no human infections. Recently reproduction of the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 in cells was found to be inhibited by chloroquine. As a consequence, a derivative of the drug, hydroxychloroquine (a less toxic derivative) has been tested in patients with COVID-19.

The results of a clinical study conducted in Marseille, France to evaluate efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in treatment of COVID-19 were released on 18 March 2020. Patients included in the study were all over 12 years old and had laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2. They received 600 mg daily of hydroxychloroquine for ten days. Viral loads in nasopharyngeal wash were measured daily.

At the onset of treatment, the patients fell into three groups based on clinical presentation: asymptomatic, and upper or lower respiratory tract infections. Some patients were also administered azithromycin to prevent bacterial superinfection.

Upon study completion, twenty patients had received treatment and 16 were untreated controls. By day 6 of the study, 70% of treated patients no longer harbored virus as determined by RT-PCR, compared with 12.5% of controls. The combination of hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin was more effective at clearing virus than hydroxychloroquine alone.

The authors write that “For ethical reasons and because our first results are so significant and evident we decide to share our findings with the medical community, given the urgent need for an effective drug against SARS-CoV-2 in the current pandemic context.”

Given the efficacy of observed even in this small clinical trial, it seems likely that hydroxychloroquine will be widely used in the treatment of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. Whether azithromycin should be included remains to be determined. Either way, the use of hydroxychloroquine, a widely available and inexpensive drug, is a welcome advance in the treatment of COVID-19.

Filed Under: Basic virology, Information Tagged With: antiviral, chloroquine, coronavirus, CoV, COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine, malaria, SARS-CoV-2, viral, virology, virus, viruses

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Not Today says

    6 April 2020 at 10:40 am

    Skip the Z-Pack and combine Hydroxcloroquine with ZINC. Zinc interacts negatively with ZPack/Azithromycin—so use ZINC with the HCQ only. Opens the channel so HCQ can interrupt reproduction of Covid-19. 13 hrs later = asymptotic patients.

  2. Maiza says

    6 April 2020 at 5:12 pm

    He’s actually done a new study with over 1000 patients recently, All improved, Lost 1 already very compromised patient.

  3. John Noyes says

    8 April 2020 at 8:34 pm

    As a retired MD who occasionally used Off Labile Rx, I see no reason not to use hydroxychloroquine under present circumstances.
    I’m not a Trump supporter but he may have a point.

  4. Nasir Ahmed Roni says

    13 April 2020 at 12:29 pm

    Trump you are 100% correct, a pandemic is seriously coursing catastrophic havoc in the world, till now no tentative drugs to either kill it or reduce it killing party in the world.
    Now, a humble drug is already have the capability to reduce it dangerous havoc on mankind (see what is happening in US, Italy and Spain), then come some theorist scientists telling us not to support Trump! Well are you saying people keeps dying waiting for your mega business vaccine, who tell you the efficiency of the vaccine after the long wait and tremendous deserted to mankind.
    Please this is no politics, but dealing with human survival during a war with an abnormal spirit.

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by Vincent Racaniello

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