Abstract
Coronavirus pandemic or COVID-19 is a global public health emergency at this period. Presently, no pharmacological treatment is known to treat this condition. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a derivative of chloroquine (CQ), was first synthesized in 1946 by adding a hydroxyl group to CQ, which is much less toxic than CQ in animal studies. Other than being an anti-malarial drug, it was revealed to have various pharmacological effects and one of those is its anti-viral property. CQ, as well as HCQ, has been used in SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) coronavirus infection due to its antiviral properties. Even though various scientists have considered HCQ as a better therapeutic approach than CQ for the treatment of coronavirus infection, there are various adverse drug reactions associated with HCQ treatment in COVID-19 patients. In this paper, we review the anti-viral mechanism, various adverse drug reactions, and side effects of HCQ for COVID-19 treatment.
Highlights
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) goes to the group of antimalarial agents, but the gratitude of its assistance in various diseases other than malaria dates back to 1894 when Payne stated that quinine was effective in cutaneous lupus [1]
On April 24, 2020, the FDA gives out a safety statement in contrast to the use of HCQ for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial due to the danger of heart rhythm problems [32]
Several evidences revealed that HCQ and CQ showed a potential use against the COVID-19: Singh AK et al (2020) studied that the small cost of chloroquine and HCQ might be an operational approach to counter COVID-19 in resource-constrained and COVID-19 overloaded health care systems in middle-and low-income counties including India [41]
Summary
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) goes to the group of antimalarial agents, but the gratitude of its assistance in various diseases other than malaria dates back to 1894 when Payne stated that quinine was effective in cutaneous lupus [1]. Such mechanisms give strong support to the hypothesis that HCQ is likely to have the capability to repress the CRS (cytokine release syndrome), which is due to over-activation of the immune system triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection, through which continuation of the disease from mild to severe might be reduced. HCQ: side effects in COVID-19 infected patients
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