Can Hydroxychloroquine Be Useful in the Prevention of COVID-19? An Italian Survey in Dermatologic and Rheumatologic Patients Already Under Treatment

The document summarizes an observational retrospective study involving 66 Italian patients on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for chronic dermatologic or rheumatologic diseases, assessing its potential as a preventive measure against COVID-19. The study found that 98.4% of the patients did not develop symptoms indicative of SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting a possible protective effect of HCQ. However, the study's limitations, such as the small sample size and lack of confirmed COVID-19 exposure among participants, were acknowledged. The authors called for further research with larger samples to confirm HCQ's efficacy in preventing COVID-19 and proposed a new prospective observational study to explore this potential.