Hydroxychloroquine saves lives of Covid patients

DETROIT – Treatment with hydroxychloroquine cut the death rate significantly in sick patients hospitalized with COVID-19 – and without heart-related side-effects, according to a new studypublished by Henry Ford Health System. 

In a large-scale retrospective analysis of 2,541 patients hospitalized between March 10 and May 2, 2020 across the system’s six hospitals, the study found 13% of those treated with hydroxychloroquine alone died compared to 26.4% not treated with hydroxychloroquine. None of the patients had documented serious heart abnormalities; however, patients were monitored for a heart condition routinely pointed to as a reason to avoid the drug as a treatment for COVID-19. 

The study was published today in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the peer-reviewed, open-access online publication of the International Society of Infectious Diseases (ISID.org). 

Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine at Henry Ford met specific protocol criteria as outlined by the hospital system’s Division of Infectious Diseases. The vast majority received the drug soon after admission; 82% within 24 hours and 91% within 48 hours of admission. All patients in the study were 18 or over with a median age of 64 years; 51% were men and 56% African American. 

“The findings have been highly analyzed and peer-reviewed,” said Dr. Marcus Zervos, division head of Infectious Disease for Henry Ford Health System, who co-authored the study with Henry Ford epidemiologist Dr. Samia Arshad. “We attribute our findings that differ from other studies to early treatment, and part of a combination of interventions that were done in supportive care of patients, including careful cardiac monitoring. Our dosing also differed from other studies not showing a benefit of the drug. And other studies are either not peer reviewed, have limited numbers of patients, different patient populations or other differences from our patients.” 

Zervos said the potential for a surge in the fall or sooner, and infections continuing worldwide, show an urgency to identifying inexpensive and effective therapies and preventions. 

“We’re glad to add to the scientific knowledge base on the role and how best to use therapies as we work around the world to provide insight,” he said. “Considered in the context of current studies on the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, our results suggest that the drug may have an important role to play in reducing COVID-19 mortality.” 

The study also found those treated with azithromycin alone or a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin also fared slightly better than those not treated with the drugs, according to the Henry Ford data. The analysis found 22.4% of those treated only with azithromycin died, and 20.1% treated with a combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine died, compared to 26.4% of patients dying who were not treated with either medication. 

“Our analysis shows that using hydroxychloroquine helped saves lives,” said neurosurgeon Dr. Steven Kalkanis, CEO, Henry Ford Medical Group and Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of Henry Ford Health System. “As doctors and scientists, we look to the data for insight. And the data here is clear that there was benefit to using the drug as a treatment for sick, hospitalized patients.” 

So once again the media have egg all over their faces and the Donald, almost inexplicably is looking pretty good.  This doesn’t cure Covid, but it gives patients a treatment (like the steroid identified in England) that halves the death rate with almost no risk.

Meanwhile Fauci’s Remdesivir supposedly modestly lowers the time in hospital and does nothing for the death rate....and he has spent Billions acquiring all the stocks of this dud er drug.

No doubt Henry Ford will now become the target. But for decent people this is a good development.

Moz, this heart condition side effect issue is all a smoke screen. There are many drugs which carries the possibility of potential damage to the heart. I can talk from experience. 

I was treated with Pembrolizumab. It is administered intravenously, every three weeks initially and then every six weeks thereafter. I was warned of the potential side effects and had to sign a consent form to undergo the treatment. Everyone has to sign such a consent, even if you have no underlying conditions. One of the items on the list of side effects was potential heart damage. I have an underlying heart condition, ie atrial fibrillation. I signed it because the risk for each of those side effects was 1% at the most. 

When the Pembrolizumab did not deliver the desired results, the treatment was stopped and it was changed to Ipilimumab. Once again I had the speech about side affects but with a lot more stress on heart damage. This, because the new drug has a significant higher risk of heart damage. It was so serious that resuscitation came up. I had to consider signing a DNR note. That was because, due to my AF, it will most probably take a long time to resuscitate me, should things go sideways. If they do manage to resuscitate me, I will have brain damage. 

Now, the risk under Pembrolizumab was less than 1%. If it is 10 times higher under Ipilimumab it would still be less than 10%. I signed both the consent and the DNR note. I had my third and second last treatment yesterday. 

The painkillers that I’m taking also has heart condition, as one of its possible side effects. I take Co-Codomol which contains 30mg codeine and 500mg paracetamol. It has a potential opioid dependency warning as well. You can get co-codomol over the counter and without prescription at a pharmacy, but then it only has 8mg codeine. I have been on the co-codomol since early March. 

I believe that the potential heart condition was used as a scare tactic in order to eventually punt Remdesivir rather than Hydroxychloroquine. I’m no expert, but that is my opinion. 

Note folks that these are people that are in HOSPITAL!

The hydroxy chloroquine cocktail should be taken as soon as possible after after infection to prevent you even going to hospital. 

I have been remiss in not posting much recently. I need to see if I can dig up some very interesting articles. 

Elon Musk is a bright guy and lambasted the Wuhan Virus BS. 

Another false trial trying to discredit Hydroxychloroquine has blown up in the faces of the hoaxers. 

But of course poor old dimwit Redrooi still stoutly maintains Trump want folk to inject themselves with bleach. Bwhahahahahahaha. Will he ever live down all the BS he has posted about Trump. 

He probably turned purple with rage when he heard about the 4. 8 million new jobs etc. 

Trump landslide coming in November. 

“ The hydroxy chloroquine cocktail should be taken as soon as possible after after infection to prevent you even going to hospital. ”

That’s no BS. 

My treatment was put on hold for four weeks because of the coronavirus for two reasons. 

One. The reasoning was also that they wanted to keep me as far away from the hospital, and potential exposure to the coronavirus, as possible. 

Two. They had to protect me from getting infected because, under no circumstances should I end up on a ventilator. A normal healthy person has a 50% chance of surviving intubation. I have zero chance of surviving that should I become infected. The chances of me needing intubation if I got the coronavirus is 100%. 

Quite a journey Vlag......add the complication of Covid and it has to have been a concerning time. I was listening to Ken  Langone yesterday, the guy who founded Home Depot and a very wealthy, informed  man. His advice to those at risk was ....don’t leave home whatever the circumstances, unless you have no choice. It’s been a misery for many.

Which makes the game that doctors like Fauci and others have been playing truly disgusting.

"Which makes the game that doctors like Fauci and others have been playing truly disgusting."

Indeed. We can't go on like this...this is war, we should start putting our foot down...enough is enough .

“ Posted by: mozart (31574 posts)

Jul 03, 2020, 18:42

Quite a journey Vlag......add the complication of Covid and it has to have been a concerning time.“

Yeah, it’s been a bit more than a concerning time Moz, and maybe it is time to explain exactly what is going on. I’ll make it as short as possible. 

I had a lesion on my back which was removed. It was quite big. It turned out to be melanoma. Something like 13mm X 8mm. That is not the big issue though. The depth of it is the most important thing. Your epidermis is 4mm. That is the safe depth. Beyond that there is a real danger of the cancer spreading to the rest of your body. Mine was 9mm. I was sent for a CT scan and they discovered an enlarged lymph node in my left armpit. 

Next step was a left axillary dissection, where all the lymph nodes in your armpit is removed. That was in October. They found three out of thirty four nodes to be cancerous. 

Then the oncologist took over. She decided on immunotherapy, initially as a preventative measure. She wanted to make sure, though, what we were dealing with. Another CT scan as well as a brain MRI, to make sure that the pituitary gland was clean, followed. That brain MRI was clean but there was a lesion on my liver, as well as enlarged lymph nodes behind my sternum. She decided on a full body PET scan and a liver MRI. The liver MRI didn’t flag up as cancerous and neither did the PET scan, but it was neither conclusive that it was not cancerous, nor was it conclusive that it was. I breathed a (rather optimistic) sigh of relief. I was expecting the worse. So the Pembrolizumab treatment was given the go ahead. I had four treatments, three weeks apart. At this stage it had been three months since my last scan, and one was ordered. Than came the let down. Lesions on my spleen and signs of spread into my longs, hence the concerns about CV. That meant that the Pembrolizumab was not working. I have been asymptomatic at that stage. 

In addition the govt has called a fourteen day pause on all cancer treatment. The oncologist decided to add fourteen days more, to be safe. At this stage she had already decided to switch to Ipilimumab and told me so. 

That was also when the DNR, etc came up. She clearly stated that the aim of the treatment has shifted. What is more is that, at this stage, I have also started to show symptoms. I have a constant pain in my right side that feels like side stitch (miltsteek for the Afrikaans guys) as well as chest pain when I breath in deep and sharply. 

The first priority was no longer to try and cure the cancer but rather to stop the spread and add years, rather than months to my life. 

Melanoma is a dirty bastard and there are different types. Some fairly easy to fight and control. Others very aggressive. On a ten point scale mine is around nine. 

My advice to anybody who regularly spend long hours in the sun, or used to in the past, needs to keep a constant look at their skin. The minute you see anything out of the ordinary, you need to get to a dermatologist ASAP. Don’t take any chances. 

So, there you have it. 

I recall the time in the Navy Gym.....on the parade ground, in sailing boats, on the ships....with no sunscreen, all day long in the African sun. How many men are suffering the consequences today. 

Once again Vlag, I’m very sorry to hear about your troubles. And I respect the way you participate here and take  the barbs that come your way without ever mentioning what you are going through, or losing your cool. That’s admirable in my book.

It seems your doctors are dedicated to getting you the best result possible and I’m sure all your fellow posters wish you the very best in this tough fight. Thanks for sharing your story.

Thanks Moz. Yeah it’s tough but I believe that the last thing that I need is to break down in a corner. 

The first thing that came to me was the old cliche: “Why me?”. For some reason, the very next thing that I remember saying to myself was: “ Why not me”? I may be fortunate to be mentally strong. I’m not patting myself on the back. I see it as a blessing that I have been able to cope. Maybe I should add thus far.

As far as the sun goes. You’re right. It was the same with me. I never believed in sunscreen and shit. That was for moffies. I spent the summer almost all day in the sun. Never using sunscreen. I loved the feeling of the sun on my back. And where did the melanoma pop up? On my back. That’s why I cannot stop saying it to everybody: “Be on the lookout for anything strange on your skin and act immediately. If it is caught early melanoma can be fairly harmless and easy to deal with, but once it’s gone through that 4mm of epidermis, you have major problems. 

It’s literally a matter of: “Stay alert, stay alive”.