Introduction: Hydroxycloroquine (HCQ) has been extensively studied for treatment and prevention of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) from the start of the pandemic. Conflicting evidence about its usefulness has begun to accrue.
Methods: In the face of controversial results about clinical efficacy of HCQ, we performed a rapid systematic review to assess its safety in the framework of COVID-19 randomized clinical trials.
Results: Five studies investigating 2291 subjects were included. The use of HCQ was associated with higher risk of adverse event compared with placebo or standard of care: odds ratio 4.57, 95% confidence interval 2.14-9.45.
Conclusion: Safety profile of HCQ appears to be unsatisfactory when used to treat or prevent COVID-19, especially in the light of unproved clinical benefit.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; hydroxychloroquine; meta-analysis; randomized controlled trials; safety.
© 2020 The Authors. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.