Hydroxychloroquine, Dermatology and SARS-CoV-2: Updating an Old Association

Three months have passed since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Due to the high infection rates and occurrence of severe and fatal cases, the search for effective drugs to treat and control the COVID-19 pandemic has been prioritized by health and political authorities. Antimalarials, well-known for their use in dermatology and rheumatology, are one of the medications with the largest - albeit limited - scientific background warranting their use in the COVID-19 treatment protocols. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been used for the treatment of COVID-19 in 50 patients in our and other centres in several countries with encouraging results. However, recent studies disprove the real effectiveness of this drug, either alone or when combined with macrolides. As a result, the World Health Organization has discouraged the use of HCQ in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Herein we report our experience in the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved