Two further studies find no evidence that hydroxychloroquine prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection, and how a swab test can go wrong.
Welcome to The Medical Republic‘s COVID Catch-Up.
It’s the day’s COVID-19 news in one convenient post. Email bianca@biancanogrady.com with any tips, comments or feedback.
2 October
- Hydroxychloroquine is, like, so ded.
- Virus bites man.
- COVID-19 swab goes so deep it hits brain.
- Latest confirmed COVID-19 infection numbers from around Australia.
- Still more nails are being hammered into the coffin of hydroxychloroquine this week.
A retrospective cohort study, published in Lancet Rheumatology examined outcomes in 10,703 patients receiving hydroxychloroquine for indications such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatological conditions, and 21,406 patients not receiving hydroxychloroquine.
It found no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall mortality – not specifically COVID-19-related mortality – was lower in the hydroxychloroquine-treated group, with the authors suggesting this could relate to the slightly younger average age of those taking hydroxychloroquine.
A second study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, randomised 125 healthcare workers to pre-exposure COVID-19 prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine or placebo, and also found no significant difference in infection rates between the two study arms.
And finally, Australia’s National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce has said hydroxychloroquine in combination with azithromycin should not be used for the treatment of COVID-19 outside clinical trials. - Donald Trump has COVID-19.
That’s it. That’s the punchline. - If the nasal swab for SARS-CoV-2 testing feels uncomfortable, spare a thought for the woman who ended up leaking cerebrospinal fluid out her nose after the swab accidently punctured through an undiagnosed skull base defect.
- Here are the latest confirmed COVID-19 infection numbers from around Australia to 9pm Thursday:
National – 27,096, with 888 deaths
ACT – 113 (0)
NSW – 4227 (3)
NT – 33 (0)
QLD – 1157 (0)
SA – 468 (0)
TAS – 230 (0)
VIC – 20,183 (15)
WA – 685 (1)
