This needs more supporting data and independent verification. It's Vladimir Zelenko, again.[1] Without an outside review of the data, again. Also, all the patients are apparently from Kiyras Joel, which is a cult community in New York State with group prayer three times a day. It's a high-density situation, like a nursing home.
Zelenko had previously stated that "90% of Kiryas Joel had COVID-19 after 9 of his first 14 tests came back positive — a conclusion the Orange County health commissioner blasted as irresponsible."[2]<p>Lots of stories from March, few later, probably because NYC had a much bigger epidemic.<p>[1] <a href="http://archive.is/rg1IG" rel="nofollow">http://archive.is/rg1IG</a><p>[2] <a href="https://www.lohud.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/03/24/kiryas-joel-doctor-coronavirus-videos/2913292001/" rel="nofollow">https://www.lohud.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/03/24/kiry...</a>
As pointed out in the comments on the site, the key issue here is that it is not a blind study, but a case series study where the demographics of the control group are unreported:<p><i>>The main problem with this work is that the demographics of the control group are not reported, so we have no idea if they are similar. This them means that we have no idea if the differences in outcomes are because of the treatment, or if they would be expected because of the demographies of the groups.</i><p><i>>A subtler point is that the reported age profile of the treatment group is impossible. Group A is aged >60 years, and almost half of the treatment group was in that group. But the IQR was reported as 40-60, so only 25% of the treatment group had an age >60. I hope this was due to excessive rounding, or a similar error that can be corrected.</i><p>It appears that the researchers selected the treatment group based on a set of quite specific criteria and then compared the outcomes of those patients with outcomes in the general population (see figure 1).
From the link:<p>Conclusions: Risk stratification-based treatment of COVID-19 outpatients as early as possible after symptom onset with the used triple therapy, including the combination of zinc with low dose hydroxychloroquine, was associated with significantly less hospitalizations and 5 times less all-cause deaths.
I’m a covid fatalist now, but I hope I live long enough to see a clear timeline of HCQ.<p>I remember when the media politicized the drug, and it caused places like medium to ban articles saying it was useful:<p><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20200405061401/https://medium.com/@agaiziunas/covid-19-had-us-all-fooled-but-now-we-might-have-finally-found-its-secret-91182386efcb" rel="nofollow">http://web.archive.org/web/20200405061401/https://medium.com...</a><p>Then we find out there was fabricated data about the drug in the world’s top medical journal that had to be retracted.<p>wtf is going on
There's some discussion on the r/COVID19 subreddit about it: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/hkgj7a/covid19_outpatients_early_riskstratified/" rel="nofollow">https://www.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/hkgj7a/covid19_out...</a>
This study from 2014 details the interaction of Zinc and HCQ. This isn't new knowledge but it is being used as a political cudgel. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182877/" rel="nofollow">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182877/</a><p>A study at NYU study showed a 44% reduction in death rate for patients treated with HCQ and ZINC. <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.02.20080036v1" rel="nofollow">https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.02.20080036v...</a> A recent study in Michigan at Henry Ford Health System showed a significant cut in death rate using HCQ . <a href="https://www.henryford.com/news/2020/07/hydro-treatment-study" rel="nofollow">https://www.henryford.com/news/2020/07/hydro-treatment-study</a><p>Some doctors are able to put 2+2 together, Zinc kills the virus, HCQ helps Zinc into the cell and they are saving lives with this treatment. Other doctors hate Orangeman so much they would rather see people die than give any sort of credit to Orangeman. When this becomes clear to the American people that 44% of those lost to this disease could have been spared, there will be a revolution.<p>This is the only trial in the US that has a chance of completing a study of HCQ+Zinc. Unfortunately, it is not being fast-tracked while people are dying. Call you representative and demand that this trial be fast-tracked before big pharma and the Orangeman haters destroy it.<p><a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04370782" rel="nofollow">https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04370782</a>
Why are the researchers combining several different substances at once without understanding the full effects of a single one of the substances in relation to COVID-19? What if zinc (a vitamin that is important to the immune system) is solely responsible for the improved health outcomes?
Why are all articles about HCQ getting flagged? Who is afraid of the discussion? If it works, we should be able to discuss it. If it doesn't work, we should also be able to discuss it. Sunlight and truth is key.<p>What is going on, HN?
I think the comments are somewhat telling about this paper and preprints as sources of medical decision making overall.<p>Comment 1: "A subtler point is that the reported age profile of the treatment group is impossible. Group A is aged >60 years, and almost half of the treatment group was in that group. But the IQR was reported as 40-60, so only 25% of the treatment group had an age >60. I hope this was due to excessive rounding, or a similar error that can be corrected."<p>Comment 2: 'I know nothing of this field but study seems well done'<p>Comment 3: lauds the authors, makes no comments about the study, and rants about the pharmaceutical industry<p>Authors include a hand surgeon and a family practitioner (Zelenko) who has been urging hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for a long time now, and was one of Trump's main sources[0].<p>[0] <a href="https://forward.com/news/national/447109/zelenko-hydroxychloroquine-trump/" rel="nofollow">https://forward.com/news/national/447109/zelenko-hydroxychlo...</a>