<p> The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has shown mixed results against the coronavirus in early studies, but a new paper out of New York suggests combining it with the dietary supplement zinc sulfate could create a more effective treatment.</p>.<p>The research by the NYU Grossman School of Medicine was posted on a medical preprint site on Monday, meaning it hasn't yet been peer reviewed.</p>.<p>Records of about 900 COVID-19 patients were reviewed in the analysis, with roughly half given zinc sulfate along with hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin.</p>.<p>The other half only received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.</p>.<p>Those receiving the triple-drug combination had a 1.5 times greater likelihood of recovering enough to be discharged, and were 44 percent less likely to die, compared to the double-drug combination.</p>.<p><b data-stringify-type="bold"><a aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-c135bc6a-a1ce-41c4-b445-b19937633c18" data-sk="tooltip_parent" delay="150" href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/coronavirus-updates-cases-deaths-country-wise-worldometers-info-data-covid-19-834531.html#1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">COVID-19 Pandemic Tracker: 15 countries with the highest number of coronavirus cases, deaths</a></b></p>.<p>It did not, however, change the average time patients spent in hospital (six days), the time they spent on the ventilator (five days), or the total amount of oxygen required.</p>.<p>Senior investigator and infectious disease specialist Joseph Rahimian told AFP it was the first study to compare the two combinations.</p>.<p>But he cautioned that a controlled experiment would be needed to prove the benefits beyond doubt.</p>.<p>"The next logical step would be to do a prospective study to see if this holds up in people that you give zinc to, and then you watch and compare," he said.</p>.<p>Hydroxychloroquine has been proposed as a treatment against the SARS-CoV-2 virus because it has antiviral properties that have been proven in lab settings, but not in people.</p>.<p>It interferes with the virus' ability to enter the cells -- and also seems to block them from replicating once they are already inside.</p>.<p>Zinc itself has antiviral properties and past research has suggested it may reduce the time people suffer from common colds.</p>.<p>Rahimian said that it may be that when used to treat coronavirus patients, it is the zinc that does the heavy lifting and is the primary substance attacking the pathogen.</p>.<p>Hydroxychloroquine, on the other hand, acts as an agent that transports the zinc into cells, increasing its efficacy, he suggested.</p>
<p> The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has shown mixed results against the coronavirus in early studies, but a new paper out of New York suggests combining it with the dietary supplement zinc sulfate could create a more effective treatment.</p>.<p>The research by the NYU Grossman School of Medicine was posted on a medical preprint site on Monday, meaning it hasn't yet been peer reviewed.</p>.<p>Records of about 900 COVID-19 patients were reviewed in the analysis, with roughly half given zinc sulfate along with hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin.</p>.<p>The other half only received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.</p>.<p>Those receiving the triple-drug combination had a 1.5 times greater likelihood of recovering enough to be discharged, and were 44 percent less likely to die, compared to the double-drug combination.</p>.<p><b data-stringify-type="bold"><a aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-c135bc6a-a1ce-41c4-b445-b19937633c18" data-sk="tooltip_parent" delay="150" href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/coronavirus-updates-cases-deaths-country-wise-worldometers-info-data-covid-19-834531.html#1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">COVID-19 Pandemic Tracker: 15 countries with the highest number of coronavirus cases, deaths</a></b></p>.<p>It did not, however, change the average time patients spent in hospital (six days), the time they spent on the ventilator (five days), or the total amount of oxygen required.</p>.<p>Senior investigator and infectious disease specialist Joseph Rahimian told AFP it was the first study to compare the two combinations.</p>.<p>But he cautioned that a controlled experiment would be needed to prove the benefits beyond doubt.</p>.<p>"The next logical step would be to do a prospective study to see if this holds up in people that you give zinc to, and then you watch and compare," he said.</p>.<p>Hydroxychloroquine has been proposed as a treatment against the SARS-CoV-2 virus because it has antiviral properties that have been proven in lab settings, but not in people.</p>.<p>It interferes with the virus' ability to enter the cells -- and also seems to block them from replicating once they are already inside.</p>.<p>Zinc itself has antiviral properties and past research has suggested it may reduce the time people suffer from common colds.</p>.<p>Rahimian said that it may be that when used to treat coronavirus patients, it is the zinc that does the heavy lifting and is the primary substance attacking the pathogen.</p>.<p>Hydroxychloroquine, on the other hand, acts as an agent that transports the zinc into cells, increasing its efficacy, he suggested.</p>