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A recent study conducted by French researchers has sent shockwaves through medical circles, indicating that nearly 17,000 individuals across six countries may have lost their lives after being prescribed hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) while battling Covid-19 during the initial wave from March to July 2020.
Published in the Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy journal, the study highlighted a stark correlation between HCQ usage and fatalities, primarily driven by severe side effects like heart arrhythmia and muscle weakness.
These findings emerged amidst the global clamor around HCQ, fueled by endorsements from figures like former US President Donald Trump, who advocated for the drug as a potential cure for Covid-19. Trump had publicly mentioned his own consumption of the drug, touting it as a “miracle” remedy.
The study, spanning six countries—US, Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, and Turkey—underscored the United States as the hardest-hit, accounting for 12,739 reported deaths associated with HCQ use, followed by Spain (1,895), Italy (1,822), Belgium (240), France (199), and Turkey (95).
However, researchers cautioned that the actual death toll might be significantly higher, considering their study covered only a fraction of the global landscape during that period.
Initially hailed as a potential treatment for Covid-19, HCQ received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2020. But mounting evidence contradicted its efficacy, prompting the FDA to rescind the emergency use authorization in June 2020. Multiple studies, including one from the New England Journal of Medicine, found that HCQ neither benefited Covid patients nor curbed fatalities and might have, in fact, heightened mortality risks.
Trump’s enthusiasm for the drug had been palpable, branding HCQ as a “magic bullet” against the virus. He cited cases of miraculous recoveries and lauded the FDA’s swift action in deploying HCQ as an antidote to curb Covid transmission, reassuring the public that the drug’s long history made it relatively safe.
The study’s grim revelations underscore a contentious chapter in the global fight against Covid-19, signaling the need for cautious evaluation and a reevaluation of drugs in the context of a public health crisis.
