Hydroxychloroquine Linked to Nearly 17,000 Deaths During First COVID-19 Wave

The anti-malaria drug, promoted as a potential COVID-19 treatment, was associated with an increased mortality rate, primarily due to cardiac complications.

• Researchers estimate that nearly 17,000 people died in six countries during the first COVID-19 wave due to the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an anti-malaria medication that was used off-label as a potential treatment against COVID-19.
• HCQ was promoted by scientists, physicians, health agencies, and even then-President Donald Trump, despite the absence of evidence documenting its clinical benefits.
• Subsequent studies showed that HCQ use was associated with an 11 percent increase in the mortality rate, primarily due to a significant increase in cardiac mortality.
• The majority of these deaths involved patients from the U.S., with 12,739 deaths. Other countries studied were Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, and Turkey.
• The researchers warn that the actual number of deaths could be higher, as their study only included data from March to July 2020 and lacked data from most countries.

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