Open AccessLong-term application of hydroxychloroquine could not prevent the infection of COVID-19
Author(s) -
Yin Zhu,
Yongping Chen,
Yuewen Gong,
Aijun Pan,
Huijie Ding,
Jianjiang Fang,
Biyun Yu,
Boding Wang,
Chunhai Ke,
Lei Xu
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of infection in developing countries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.322
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 2036-6590
pISSN - 1972-2680
DOI - 10.3855/jidc.13527
Subject(s) - hydroxychloroquine , medicine , pneumonia , sore throat , lopinavir , ritonavir , covid-19 , ceftriaxone , surgery , immunology , disease , virus , antibiotics , viral load , infectious disease (medical specialty) , antiretroviral therapy , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Current pandemic of the coronavirus induced disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents an urgent issue to the world due to lack of vaccine and medication. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has generated a lot of controversies whether it is effective in prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Current report presents a 63-year-old woman who has taken HCQ for many years but still infected by COVID-19.
Case presentation: A patient with rheumatoid arthritis came to the clinic with fever and sore throat. The patient has been treated with 200 mg HCQ per day since 2016. Laboratory tests showed that the patient had lymphopenia, increased levels of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6). Chest radiography showed that the patient had pneumonia. Throat swab test confirmed COVID-19 positive. On admission, she was treated with nebulized interferon alfa-2b, oral Lopinavir/Ritonavir, and ceftriaxone sodium for the COVID-19 in addition to HCQ. The patient stayed in hospital for 18 days, recovered from oxygen intake, and eventually discharged from hospital. Follow up investigation showed the patient developed antibody against COVID-19.
Conclusions: Long-term application of HCQ could not prevent COVID-19 infection, but whether HCQ exerts benefit to alleviation of clinical symptoms and duration of hospital stays remains to be further investigated.