Abstract
Hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ) is being scrutinized for repositioning in the treatment and prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This antimalarial drug is also chronically used to treat patients with autoimmune diseases. By analyzing the Portuguese anonymized data on private and public based medical prescriptions we have identified all cases chronically receiving HCQ for the management of diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases. Additionally, we have detected all laboratory confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and all laboratory confirmed negative cases in the Portuguese population (mandatorily registered in a centrally managed database). Cross linking the two sets of data has allowed us to compare the proportion of HCQ chronic treatment (at least 2 grams per month) in laboratory confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection with laboratory confirmed negative cases. Out of 26 815 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 77 (0.29%) were chronically treated with HCQ, while 1215 (0.36%) out of 333 489 negative patients were receiving it chronically (P = .04). After adjustment for age, sex, and chronic treatment with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants, the odds ratio of SARS-CoV-2 infection for chronic treatment with HCQ has been 0.51 (0.37-0.70). Our data suggest that chronic treatment with HCQ confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Keywords: SARS coronavirus < virus classification; chemotherapy < disease control; economic reason < social science; public policy < social science.
【저자키워드】 disease control, virus classification, SARS coronavirus <, chemotherapy <, economic reason <, social science, public policy <, 【초록키워드】 Corticosteroid, Treatment, SARS-CoV-2, Arthritis, coronavirus, Corticosteroids, Diseases, Hydroxychloroquine, SARS-COV-2 infection, Infection, Sex, systemic lupus erythematosus, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, virus, database, antimalarial, immunosuppressants, rheumatoid arthritis, Laboratory, Chemotherapy, management, disease control, Patient, repositioning, age, HCQ, public policy, SARS Coronavirus, virus classification, respiratory, Autoimmune diseases, disease, Odds ratio, lupus erythematosus, antimalarial drug, negative patients, sulfate, hydroxychloroquine sulfate, medical prescriptions, Cross linking, confirmed case, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, Registered, treat, SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, anonymized data, proportion, receiving, treated, 【제목키워드】 Treatment, chronic,