Prophylactic Benefit of Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 Cases With Mild to Moderate Symptoms and in Healthcare Workers With High Exposure Risk

Prophylactic Benefit of Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 Cases With Mild to Moderate Symptoms and in Healthcare Workers With High Exposure Risk (PREVENT)

Few studies have reported the efficacy of HCQ in reducing the viral load and improving the severity of symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 cases with serious respiratory infection. However, the prophylactic benefits of HCQ has not been clearly defined yet.

This study is designed to evaluate the prophylactic efficacy of HCQ in COVID-19 cases with mild to moderate symptoms and in the hospital staff engaged in attending infected patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female over 18 years of age at the time of enrollment
• COVID-19 test positive patients with mild-moderate symptoms including fever >37.50 F
• Consecutive consenting staff at ICU, ER and COVID-19 unit that have never been diagnosed with COVID-19

Exclusion Criteria:

• Exclusion criteria:
• Hepatic cirrhosis or active hepatitis B or C
• Severe renal disease
• Hospitalized for severe symptoms of COVID-19 (ARDS), on mechanical ventilation or ECMO
• Contraindication to HCQ
• Using HCQ for some other condition (i.e. SLE, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Pregnant or breast feeding
• Known history of long QT syndrome (QTc >500 ms on electrocardiogram)
• Seizure disorder
• Body weight <50kg
• Psoriasis
• Unwilling to provide informed consent