Coronavirus: Antimalarial drug taken by Trump linked to 34 per cent increase in risk of death, study finds

The antimalarial drug touted by Donald Trump as a treatment for the coronavirus has been linked to an increased risk of death in patients, according to the first major study into its use.

The president called hydroxychloroquine a “game changer” in the fight against the virus in March, and has promoted its use ever since, despite no evidence that it had any positive effect for patients infected with Covid-19.

Earlier this week he claimed that he had been taking the drug himself. “I get a lot of tremendously positive news on the hydroxy,” Mr Trump said, adding: “What do you have to lose?”

But a new study of 96,000 hospitalised coronavirus patients around the world found there was a 34 per cent increase in the risk of mortality in those given the drug. It also led to a 137 per cent increased risk of serious heart arrhythmias.

“Our large-scale, international, real-world analysis supports the absence of a clinical benefit of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine and points to potential harm in hospitalised patients with COVID-19,” said the authors of the study, which was published in the Lancet medical journal.

Those given chloroquine, a similar drug, saw a 37 per cent increased risk of death and a 256 per cent increased risk of serious heart arrhythmias.

Mr Trump has specifically promoted the combination of hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic called Azithromycin. In a 21 March tweet, he wrote: “HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine.”

The same study found that the patients receiving hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic faced a 45 per cent increased risk of death and a 411 per cent increased risk of serious heart arrhythmias.

The study was based on a retrospective analysis of medical records from six continents and represents the largest of its kind to date. The authors looked at patients hospitalised between 20 December, 2019, and 14 April, 2020

The findings are likely to raise further questions about the president’s promotion of the drug in nationally televised press briefings. Mr Trump’s references to the drug, which were amplified by his supporters and Fox News, have led to a rush for the drug across the world. Many of his own supporters have said they are taking the drug after hearing Mr Trump’s recommendation.

Dr Angela Rasmussen, a virologist and an associate research scientist at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, told The Independent that it was still unclear whether the drug was effective as a preventative measure.

“While we still don't know if hydroxychloroquine is effective for prophylaxis, this appears consistent with data that increasingly shows it does not provide benefit for hospitalised patients,” Dr Rasmussen said.

“We still need more data about possible benefits for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, and those trials are underway, but I hope that we shift focus and resources to other treatments for hospitalised patients that are severely ill.”

The UK government has invited pharmaceutical companies to supply 16 million tablets between June 2020 and January 2021 as part of a £35m contract described as an “open opportunity” put out to tender last week, The Guardian reported.

The Department of Health said it had procured various drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, to support clinical trials aiming to establish if any existing medicines are effective against Covid-19.

Hydroxychloroquine is normally used for treating malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Its use was touted as a possible treatment for Covid-19 after a number of small, preliminary studies suggested it might help prevent the virus from entering cells.

Mr Trump’s own health officials have warned against the use of hydroxychloroquine before clinical trials have taken place. A panel assembled by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, headed by White House coronavirus task force member Dr Anthony Fauci, said the combination was potentially dangerous to patients.