Table 2.
Characteristics of experimental studies included in the updated meta-analysis.
| Study and date of publication | Design and setting | Sample size and age (mean, years) | Drug and dose | Control | % with comorbidities | % of infection severity | Outcomes and length of follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huang et al., 18-May-2020 [58] |
RCT, hospital Country - China |
22 participants Mean age 44.0 yrs (Range 36.5–57.5) |
10 participants received CQ (500 mg orally twice daily for 10 days) | 12 participants received Lopinavir/Ritonavir (400/100 mg orally twice daily for 10 days) | Not reported | 36.4% | -Negative conversion of SARS–CoV–2 - lung CT for assessing the improvement of NCP -length of hospitalization -Adverse events |
| Tang et al., 7-May-2020 [59] |
Open-label RCT, 16 government-designed COVID-19 treatment centers Country - China |
150 participants Mean age 48.0 yrs (SD 14.1) |
75 participants received HCQ (1200 mg for 3 days then maintained 800 mg for rest of the follow up) + SOC | 75 participants received SOC only | 16% DM and 8% HTN | All participants had mild-moderate disease, except 2 were severe | -Negative conversion of SARS–CoV–2 by 28 days -Adverse events |
| Chen Z et al., 10-April-2020 [60] |
RCT (double-blind), Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University Country - China |
62 participants Mean age 44.7 (15.3) |
31 received HCQ (400 mg/d (200 mg/bid) between days 1 and 5) + SOC | 31participants received SOC only | Not reported | 4 (6.5%) had severe infection in control group | -Changes in TTCR -Adverse events -Mortality |
| Gautret et al., 20-March-2020 [20] |
Open-label, quasi-experimental, 4 centers Country - France |
42 participants Mean age 45.1 (22.0) |
26 participants received HCQ (200 mg, 3 times daily for 10 days) 6 participants received AZI (500 mg day 1, followed by 250 mg daily for the next 4 days |
16 participants refused the protocol treatment | Not reported | 16.7% were asymptomatic, 61.1% with URTI and 22.2% with LRTI | -Viral clearance at day 6 -Mortality -Adverse events |
| Chen J et al., 6-March-2020 [22] |
Open-label RCT, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center Country – China |
30 participants Mean age 48.6 yrs (no SD reported) |
15 participants received oral HCQ (400 mg once daily for 5 days) + SOC | 15 participants received SOC only | 36.7% with comorbid disease | Not reported | - Negative conversion of SARS–CoV–2 at day 7 -Disease exacerbation and adverse events |
| Horby et al. RECOVERY TRIAL 15- July 2020 [24] | Adaptive RCT Country – U.K. |
4647 participants Mean age 65.3 yrs (SD 15.3) |
1542 participants received a loading dose of HCQ of 800 mg twice on the first day, then 400 mg twice a day for 6 days | 3132 participants on SOC | 57% had at least one major comorbidity | 76% were either on mechanical ventilation or supplementary oxygen | Mortality after 28 days |
| Chen C.P. et al. 10 July 2020 [67] | RCT Country – Taiwan |
33 participants Mean age 32.9 yrs (SD 10.7) |
21 participants received 400 mg HCQ twice a day on day one, then 200 mg twice a day for 6 days | 12 participants on SOC | A “few” had comorbidities | Mild to moderate illness. Severe illness excluded. | Negative rRT-PCR at 14 days |
| Mitjà et al. 10 July 2020 [68] | RCT Country - Spain |
293 participants Mean age 41.6 yrs (SD 12.6) |
136 participants received 800 mg on day 1, then 400 mg once a day for 6 days | 157 participants on SOC | 53.2% | All had mild illness | -Reduction of viral load at 7 days -Disease progression by day 28 -adverse events by day 28 |
Abbreviations: n-RCT-nonrandomized clinical trial, q-RCT-quasi-randomized control trial, HCQ-hydroxychloroquine, SOC – Standard of care, DM- Diabetes mellitus, HTN, hypertension, CVD-cardiovascular diseases, CHF- chronic heart failure, CKF- chronic kidney failure, TTCR-time to clinical recovery, URTI-upper respiratory tract infection, LRTI-lower respiratory tract infection.