Assessment of Recovery Time, Worsening, and Death among Inpatients and Outpatients with COVID-19, Treated with Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine plus Azithromycin Combination in Burkina Faso

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.02.034
• Publication Date: 2022-02-26T06:57:27Z
• Authors: Toussaint Rouamba; Esperance Ouédraogo; Houreratou Barry; Nobila Valentin Y...; Apoline Sondo; Rainatou Boly; Jacques Zoungrana; Abdoul Risgou Oué...; Marc Christian Ta...; Armel Poda; Arnaud Eric Diendéré; Abdoul-Salam Oued...; Innocent Valea; Isidore Traoré; Zekiba Tarnagda; Maxime K Drabo; Halidou Tinto
• Keywords: Inpatients; SARS-CoV-2; Fatality; Viral clearance; Chloroquine; SRAS-CoV-2; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Azithromycin; Antiviral Agents; Aggravation; Article; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Burkina Faso; Outpatients; Humans; Hydroxychloroquine

Our study aimed to assess the statistical relationship between the use of chloroquine phosphate or hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin (CQ/HCQ + AZ) and virological recovery, disease worsening, and death among out- and inpatients with COVID-19 in Burkina Faso.This was a retrospective observational study that compared outcomes in terms of time to recovery, worsening, and death in patients who received CQ/HCQ + AZ and those who did not using a multivariable Cox or Poisson model before and after propensity matching.Of the 863 patients included in the study, about 50% (432/863) were home-based follow-up patients and 50% were inpatients. Of these, 83.3% (746/863) received at least 1 dose of CQ/HCQ + AZ and 13.7% (118/863) did not. There were no significant differences in associated time to recovery for patients receiving any CQ/HCQ + AZ (adjusted HR 1.44; 95% CI 0.76-2.71). Similarly, there was no significant association between CQ/HCQ + AZ use and worsening (adjusted IRR 0.80; 95% CI 0.50-1.50). However, compared with the untreated group, the treated group had a lower risk of death (adjusted HR 0.20; 95% CI 0.10-0.44).The study provided valuable additional information on the use of CQ/HCQ in patients with COVID-19 and did not show any harmful outcomes of CQ/HCQ + AZ treatment.