Hydroxychloroquine as pre-exposure prophylaxis against COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers: a prospective cohort study
Rao et al.,
Hydroxychloroquine as pre-exposure prophylaxis against COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers: a..,
Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, doi:10.1080/14787210.2022.2015326
Prospective PrEP study with low risk healthcare workers in India showing RR=0.89 [0.53-1.52]. There were no significant adverse effects. Only mean age and gender distribution are provided for baseline characteristics, no severity information is provided, and no adjustments were made. Authors analyze HCQ use for <8 vs. ≥8 weeks, noting a lack of statistical significance, but not providing the results.
This study is excluded in the after exclusion results of meta
analysis:
unadjusted results with minimal group details.
risk of case, 11.0% lower, RR 0.89, p = 0.68, treatment 16 of 273 (5.9%), control 67 of 1,021 (6.6%), NNT 143.
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Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates
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Rao et al., 4 Dec 2021, prospective, India, peer-reviewed, 8 authors.
Abstract: Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy
ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ierz20
Hydroxychloroquine as pre-exposure prophylaxis
against COVID-19 infection among healthcare
workers: a prospective cohort study
Akshay Rao, Sundar Kumar Veluswamy, Banashankari Gunjiganur
Shankarappa, Rithika Manjunatha Reddy, Nethravathi Umesh, Lissy John,
Lysamma Mathew & Naresh Shetty
To cite this article: Akshay Rao, Sundar Kumar Veluswamy, Banashankari Gunjiganur
Shankarappa, Rithika Manjunatha Reddy, Nethravathi Umesh, Lissy John, Lysamma Mathew
& Naresh Shetty (2021): Hydroxychloroquine as pre-exposure prophylaxis against COVID-19
infection among healthcare workers: a prospective cohort study, Expert Review of Anti-infective
Therapy, DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2022.2015326
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/14787210.2022.2015326
Published online: 20 Dec 2021.
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EXPERT REVIEW OF ANTI-INFECTIVE THERAPY
https://doi.org/10.1080/14787210.2022.2015326
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Hydroxychloroquine as pre-exposure prophylaxis against COVID-19 infection
among healthcare workers: a prospective cohort study
Akshay Rao a, Sundar Kumar Veluswamy b,c, Banashankari Gunjiganur Shankarappad, Rithika Manjunatha Reddye,
Nethravathi Umeshf, Lissy Johnf, Lysamma Mathewg and Naresh Shettyh
a
Department of Internal Medicine, MS Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru, India; bDepartment of Physiotherapy, MS Ramaiah Medical College;
Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (Hl- Pivot) Network, Chicago, Illinois, USA; dDepartment of Microbiology, MS Ramaiah Medical
College; eMedical student, MS Ramaiah Medical College Bengaluru, India; fOffice of Nursing Superintendent, MS Ramaiah Medical College Hospital
Bengaluru, India; gOffice of Nursing Superintendent, MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, Bengaluru, India; hCaring for the Caregivers Surveillance
System, MS Ramaiah Medical College Hospitals
c
ABSTRACT
ARTICLE HISTORY
Background: Hydroxychloroquine had attracted significant attention in the initial phases of the COVID19 pandemic but current recommendations do not support its use. However, the evidence against its
use as pre-exposure prophylaxis have been of low to moderate quality and have been limited by high
risk of bias.
Methods: Following institutional ethics committee approval, healthcare workers (n = 1294) completing
their first week-long COVID in-patient duty, subsequent institutional quarantine and RT-PCR testing for
COVID-19 infection were included for this prospective cohort study. Demographic data, hydroxychlor
oquine usage and related adverse effects were captured through a ‘Caring for the Caregivers’ surveil
lance system. A chi-Square test of independence was used to determine the effect of
hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis.
Results: Among the 1294 participants (age: 31 ± 7 years, 61% women), 273 (21.1%) healthcare workers
used hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as per Indian Council of Medical Research recommendations and
83/1294 (6.4%) tested positive after their duty. There was no significant difference in COVID-19
incidence between those on hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis and those not on it (5.9% vs 6.6%,
χ2 = 0.177, p = 0.675; RR = 0.89, 95% CI – 0.53 to 1.52). There were no significant..
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