Safety of hydroxychloroquine for treatment or prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection: A rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Introduction: Hydroxycloroquine (HCQ) has been extensively studied for treatment and prevention of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) from the start of the pandemic. Conflicting evidence about its usefulness has begun to accrue. Methods: In the face of controversial results about clinical efficacy of HCQ, we performed a rapid systematic review to assess its safety in the framework of COVID-19 randomized clinical trials. Results: Five studies investigating 2291 subjects were included. The use of HCQ was associated with higher risk of adverse event compared with placebo or standard of care: odds ratio 4.57, 95% confidence interval 2.14-9.45. Conclusion: Safety profile of HCQ appears to be unsatisfactory when used to treat or prevent COVID-19, especially in the light of unproved clinical benefit.