Hydroxychloroquine Efficacy and Safety Concerns in the Treatment of COVID-19
Grand Canyon University: BIO-317V
, HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE VS COVID-19: FRIEND OR FOE 2
Abstract
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the SARS-C0-V2, otherwise known as
COVID-19, a pandemic, a fervent search for a therapeutic treatment was initiated. Countries
outside the United States where incidences of the virus were prevalent initiated limited studies on
the use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCG) to shorten the duration of the virus and to decrease
mortality. Based on the results of those studies,HCQ was approved by the FDA to be utilized as
an emergent treatment for COVID. Being a novel virus, the course of action the virus takes on
the body is unknown but seemed to be like other SARS. Previous and ongoing studies involving
the effects of the virus on patients in relation to age, gender, comorbidities and other factors are
being reviewed to see if HCQ can be used safely in all patients despite it's proven adverse
cardiovascular complication including prolonged QT intervals which is one of many serious
adverse cardiovascular effects identified with use of this therapeutic in the fight against COVID-
19. This review details the outcomes of multiple studies put forward to determine if the known
risks of HCQ outweigh any benefits in becoming an approved therapeutic against that can be
prescribed to all patients who are diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus .