NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Covid 19 coronavirus: Donald Trump's virus drug linked to increased risk of death

By Rozina Sabur
Daily Telegraph UK·
23 May, 2020 08:09 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

There has been no clinical trial proving hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19. Photo / Getty Images

There has been no clinical trial proving hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19. Photo / Getty Images

The antimalarial drug used by Donald Trump as a prophylactic for Covid-19 has been linked to a significant increase in the risk of coronavirus patients dying in hospital, according to the largest study of its kind.

The study of 96,000 patients - published in The Lancet yesterday - found those given hydroxychloroquine had a 34 per cent increase in risk of death and a 137 per cent increased risk of serious heart arrhythmia.

In those given hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic - the combination of treatment endorsed by Trump - there was a 45 per cent increased risk of death and a 411 per cent increased risk of serious heart arrhythmia.

Chloroquine, a closely related drug, had a 37 per cent increased risk of death and a 256 per cent increased risk of serious heart arrhythmia.

There has been no clinical trial proving hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19. Photo / Getty Images
There has been no clinical trial proving hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19. Photo / Getty Images
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The US president caused alarm this week after he revealed he was taking hydroxychloroquine despite health officials' fears over its side effects, asking: "What do you have to lose?"

Trump first promoted the use of the drug as a coronavirus treatment in March, saying it could be a "game changer in the history of medicine".

He prompted a storm of criticism on Monday when he said he had been taking the drug for about a week and a half as a preventive measure, with the approval of his White House doctor.

"All I can tell you is so far I seem to be okay," Trump said, adding: "I get a lot of tremendously positive news on the hydroxy."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Demand for the antimalarial drug surged in the US after Trump first promoted it, with retail sales in March double what they were the previous year, according to analysis from IQVIA, a market research firm.

The Lancet study, conducted by Professor Mandeep Mehra of Harvard Medical School, along with professors from three other institutions, looked at more than 96,000 coronavirus patients who had been admitted to hospitals.

The authors could not confirm if taking the drug resulted in any benefit to Covid-19 patients, while the drug "was associated with decreased in-hospital survival".

Mehra, the study's lead author, said that "randomised trials" were essential to confirm the effects of hydroxychloroquine on coronavirus patients, but added: "In the meantime, we suggest these drugs should not be used as treatments for Covid-19 outside of clinical trials."

Discover more

World

Trump deems churches 'essential', calls for them to reopen

22 May 07:27 PM
World

Footage shows 20-year-old brutally beating frail elderly man in rest home

22 May 10:02 PM
New Zealand|politics

No new Covid-19 cases - the incredibly small number of active cases left

23 May 12:45 AM
World

Nasa, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf

22 May 11:37 PM

Hydroxychloroquine has been approved for use as an antimalarial drug for several decades, but there has been no expansive clinical trial proving its efficacy as a treatment for Covid-19.

Concerns raised in other recent studies of hydroxychloroquine led the US Food and Drug Administration to issue a safety warning about its use as a treatment for coronavirus last month, warning that it could cause dangerous heart problems.

The latest research offers a retrospective analysis of medical records rather than the results of a controlled study, which is the gold standard for medicine, but The Lancet study represents the largest analysis to date of the drug's effect on patients with Covid-19.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

Professor Stephen Evans, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said more research was needed, but added: "It is clear that the drugs should not be given for treatment of Covid-19 other than in the context of a randomised trial.

"It might even be said that to go on giving them other than in a trial is unethical, given this evidence that is not yet contradicted by other available evidence."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The researchers looked at data from 671 hospitals across six continents, where 14,888 patients were given either hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, with or without macrolide antibiotics, and 81,144 patients were not on any of the treatment regimens.

Earlier this week it was announced that a trial to see whether the drugs could prevent Covid-19 had begun in Brighton and Oxford.

Chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine or a placebo will be given to more than 40,000 healthcare workers from Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

How a heroic camp director risked it all to save campers in Texas flood

07 Jul 12:11 AM
World

Blair's think-tank worked on ‘Trump Riviera’ plan for Gaza

06 Jul 11:56 PM
Premium
World

Lost wedding ring found 15 years later at Christmas tree farm

06 Jul 11:43 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

How a heroic camp director risked it all to save campers in Texas flood

How a heroic camp director risked it all to save campers in Texas flood

07 Jul 12:11 AM

Camp directors Dick Eastland and Jane Ragsdale died trying to save others.

Blair's think-tank worked on ‘Trump Riviera’ plan for Gaza

Blair's think-tank worked on ‘Trump Riviera’ plan for Gaza

06 Jul 11:56 PM
Premium
Lost wedding ring found 15 years later at Christmas tree farm

Lost wedding ring found 15 years later at Christmas tree farm

06 Jul 11:43 PM
Citizen scientists pinpoint 10,000 eclipsing star pairs

Citizen scientists pinpoint 10,000 eclipsing star pairs

06 Jul 10:59 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP