During a press briefing Thursday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany cited a Henry Ford Health System study supporting the use of hydroxychloroquine to combat COVID-19.
"The president has always said that he sees hydroxychloroquine as a very promising prophylactic but that every person should not take it unless they get a prescription from their doctor," said McEnany responding to a reporter question.
She added that the president has taken the drug as a prophylactic.
McEnany pointed to a Henry Ford Health Health System study which said treatment with hydroxychloroquine cut the death rate significantly in sick patients hospitalized with COVID-19 – and without heart-related side-effects.
According to the study published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Infectious Diseases, in a large-scale retrospective analysis of 2,541 patients hospitalized between March 10 and May 2, 2020 across the system’s six hospitals, the study found 13% of those treated with hydroxychloroquine alone died compared to 26.4% not treated with hydroxychloroquine. None of the patients had documented serious heart abnormalities; however, patients were monitored for a heart condition routinely pointed to as a reason to avoid the drug as a treatment for COVID-19.
In a Henry Ford Health System release Dr. Marcus Zervos, division head of Infectious Disease for the hospital said, “We’re glad to add to the scientific knowledge base on the role and how best to use therapies as we work around the world to provide insight.” Adding, "considered in the context of current studies on the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, our results suggest that the drug may have an important role to play in reducing COVID-19 mortality.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, hydroxychloroquine is a U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved arthritis medicine that also can be used to prevent or treat malaria. It's available by prescription only in the U.S.
Dr. Zervos also pointed out, as does the paper, that the study results should be interpreted with some caution, should not be applied to patients treated outside of hospital settings and require further confirmation in prospective, randomized controlled trials that rigorously evaluate the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine therapy for COVID-19.
“Currently, the drug should be used only in hospitalized patients with appropriate monitoring, and as part of study protocols, in accordance with all relevant federal regulations,” Dr. Zervos said.