Scientists prove hydroxychloroquine doesn't prevent coronavirus

The coronavirus treatment drug that has been spoken about since the beginning of the outbreak has been found to not prevent people from contracting the virus.

If you have been following along with the coronavirus news, then you probably have already guessed the drug - hydroxychloroquine. This drug was promoted by President Trump in the early stages of the outbreak, and the President even spoke out about how he was taking a regime of it to prevent the virus. Now, a new study that has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine has shown that the drug is not effective in preventing a person from contracting the virus if exposed to it.

According to Dr. William Schaffer, a specialist at Vanderbilt University, "This was a large, randomized controlled trial done by very good people. Hydroxychloroquine did not provide a notable advantage." The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota and Canada and consisted of 821 participants ranging from ages 33 - 50 that were healthcare workers and people who may have been previously exposed to the virus. The researchers randomly gave the participants either hydroxychloroquine or a placebo within four days of exposure.

The researchers found that "hydroxychloroquine did not prevent illness compatible with COVID-19 or confirmed infection when used as postexposure prophylaxis within four days after exposure."

On top of that, hydroxychloroquine was found to increase the likelihood of fatalities in coronavirus patients, check out that study here.

Last updated: Jun 16, 2020 at 04:29 pm CDT