Brazil is not among the nations studied, but experts believe the country has also seen a high number of drug-related deaths
The use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in hospitalized patients during the first wave of the pandemic COVID-19in 2020, led to the deaths of around 17,000 people in six countries whose data were analysed, according to one estimate study published in the journal Biomedicine and pharmacotherapy this week. Brazil is not among the nations studied, but the experts interviewed by Estadao say they believe the country has also seen a high number of deaths associated with the drug’s use (read more below).
The medicine was used indiscriminately by several countries at the beginning of the pandemic due to its supposed effectiveness in fighting the coronavirus. It has been promoted by politicians such as the former American president Donald Trump and the then president Jair Bolsonaro. Even after clinical trials demonstrated the drug’s ineffectiveness in treating Covid, Bolsonaro, other politicians and even some doctors continued to promote the drug, in a position contrary to science.
The research that attempted to estimate the number of deaths associated with the use of this drug was conducted by French scientists and made projections based on 44 international studies with data from France, Belgium, Spain, Türkiye, Italy AND WE. Indicators such as the hospital mortality rate for Covid, exposure to hydroxychloroquine, the number of hospitalized patients and the increase in the relative risk of death with the use of the drug were considered in the calculation.
In the case of the latter variable, already published data were considered in the 2021 study in the scientific journal Nature communications who proved it the use of the medicine in patients suffering from covid would increase this risk by 11%.
“They considered a meta-analysis (statistical method for integrating the results of different research) which demonstrated an 11% increased risk of death in people using the drugs. And then they looked for studies that had simultaneous estimates of the mortality rate and the rate of subjects exposed to hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine. From there, they estimated the excess deaths attributable to these medicines,” explains Alexandre Biasi Cavalcanti, superintendent of teaching and research at HCor, regarding the methodology of the French study.
Considering the average number of projections made by scientists for excess deaths attributable to drugs, they arrived at an estimate of 16,990 deaths only during the first wave of covid-19, which would be distributed as follows among the countries analyzed: 12,739 in the USA, 1,895 in Spain, 1,822 in Italy, 240 in Belgium, 199 in France and 95 in Turkey.
For epidemiologist Denise Garrett, vice president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the study brings robust results by bringing together data from several independent investigations. “It is crucial to ensure that individual studies incorporated have solid designs, clear methodologies and reliable results, as was the case in this meta-analysis – it was conducted using excellent articles, which strengthens the reliability and validity of the results,” says Lei , which points to the result as “further proof” of the negative effects that the indiscriminate use of hydroxychloroquine has had during the pandemic.
The number is just the “tip of the iceberg”
In the scientific article, the researchers point out that the estimated number of almost 17 thousand deaths could only be “the tip of the iceberg” due to the limited nature of the data and the fact that it comes from only six countries.
“Considering that reliable data on hospital admissions, HCQ use and hospital mortality are limited in most countries, These numbers likely represent only the tip of the iceberg, significantly underestimating the number of HCQ-related deaths worldwide. Off-label prescribing (indication different from that indicated in the leaflet, as happened with hydroxychloroquine for covid) may be appropriate when doctors believe they have enough evidence to suggest the drug’s benefits. However, early research reporting the effect of HCQ showed limited or no efficacy in reducing mortality,” the researchers pointed out.
According to a review carried out by researchers of the scientific literature, the main damage of the medicine in Covid patients is linked to cardiac side effectsbut some patients may also have liver and kidney problems while using the medicine.
In light of the findings, the scientists advocate “rigorous regulation of access to off-label prescriptions during future pandemics” and also say that it is essential that “representatives of public authorities do not promote, on the basis of their personal beliefs, the prescription of drugs that have not been formally evaluatedthus creating false hopes about the existence of a solution to a complex health crisis.”
“The impact on public health has been notable,” says the expert
Cavalcanti underlines that, although the increased risk of death due to the use of the drug can be considered “modest” (11%), the fact that hundreds of thousands of people have been treated with these drugs and that the mortality rate among these patients is high, the impact, from a public health point of view, has been considerable. “The fact that we have more than 16 thousand deaths due to these drugs, considering only the countries of Europe and the United States, is terrible. These are numbers from a war. It is the unintended consequence of the decision to hastily treat with a drug that is not effectiveness has yet to be demonstrated”, underlines the doctor.
For Brazilian experts, although the study does not contain projections of the impact in Brazil, the scenario could be similar or worse than that observed in the United States. In both countries, Presidents Trump and Bolsonaro pressured health agencies to authorize the drug’s use. “You would need to research Covid hospital mortality rates in Brazil and the percentage of HCQ use, but I believe both variables were the same or higher here than in the US,” Cavalcanti says.
“The number of drug-associated deaths was certainly similar or worse in Brazil due to the widespread use of drugs in the country,” concludes Garrett.
A survey by the Brazilian Association of Distribution and Logistics of Pharmaceutical Products (Abradilan) published in 2021 showed an 857% increase in the sale of medicines that formed the so-called covid kit, a set of medicines ineffective against the disease, but which were promoted by political authorities and doctors with anti-scientific positions. As the Estadao revealed in 2021, patients who used such drugs died or ended up on the liver transplant waiting list after developing drug-induced hepatitis.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
