Thread by @marston122

(Thread) Another POOR study from the @NEJM. Sure to be quoted by media & physicians alike. ANYONE that takes 5 minutes to read the methodology & patient profiles will know. Hydroxychloroquine with or without Azithromycin in Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19 | NEJM bit.ly/3kGZoxU

1.) Not a single patient in the study was without SERIOUS co-morbidities. Simply read the chart that explains this. The most common was hypertentison, but also included diabetes, COPD, AIDS, and many others.

2.) Not one patient was without multiple, serious medications.
(contin)

Every patient had MULTIPLE meds onboard. The authors point out the increased incidence of QT prolongation as this has become one of the common, yet incorrect fear-triggers associated with HCQ.
Here is a list of medications known to prolong QT times:bit.ly/31NIzZr

3.) Dosage of HCQ was 4 TIMES that found to be optimal for treatment of C0VID. From the study:
“HCQ at a dose of 400 mg twice daily for 7 days (HCQ-alone group), or standard care plus HCQ at a dose of 400 mg twice daily plus AZITH at a dose of 500 mg once/day X 7 days.”

The authors note that many other medications were given to the study patients along with HCQ or HCQ+AZTH. Of note, one of the most common medications is an antiviral oseltamivir - which is known to cause QT prolongation. This was not mentioned by the authors and is significant:

Buried in the appendix to the paper, not in the paper itself, is a revealing confession. The authors, when choosing patients to include in the study, abandon the idea that they needed to have started the trial medication within 48 hours of hospital admission. Read below.

This study was a disaster and should never have been accepted by the editorial review board at the #NEJM. It is fraught with SERIOUS problems which invalidate the conclusion that HCQ isn’t effective.
Sadly, the media and smart MDs will reference this terrible study. #JunkScience