Hydroxychloroquine in Combination with Zinc Treatment Results - New York

With the number of COVID-19 deaths still rising, the race to find effective treatments continues. According to published research (N=3,473) out of New York City, a combination of zinc and hydroxychloroquine may be a cost-effective way to reduce in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Jennifer A Frontera, a neuro-critical care specialist at NYU Langone Medical Center and a lead author on the study, discussed these findings in her keynote address at the virtual American Academy of Neurology conference.

Zinc is a mineral normally found in low levels in human cells. Previous research has shown that zinc can help boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, and in some cases, stop the spread of viruses.

Zinc has also been shown to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-1, according to Frontera. COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2.

During the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, Frontera and her colleagues at four hospitals in New York City collectively decided to see if adding zinc to their treatment regimens helped novel coronavirus patients. The physicians knew they needed something to help the patients absorb high enough levels of zinc to be effective, and at the time, many of their patients happened to be taking just the thing: hydroxychloroquine.

Among other things, hydroxychloroquine is an ionophore, a lipid soluble compound that can help zinc cross the plasma membrane. There are several other ionophores, including resveratrol, pyrithione, and quercetin.

“Since a lot of our patients got hydroxychloroquine by protocol early in the pandemic, we protocolized adding zinc to [their treatment],” Frontera said.

Nearly 3,500 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were included in their study. The median age was 64 years and just over half were male.

One thousand patients received a treatment of hydroxychloroquine and zinc and 2,500 (controls) did not. Exclusion criteria included death or discharge within 24 hours, comfort-care status, admittance into another clinical trial, and treatment that included an IL-6 inhibitor or Remdesivir. Patients in the treatment group received 400 mg of zinc gluconate by mouth on day one of the trial and 200 mg twice a day thereafter.

Frontera explained the treatment was supposed to last five days, but median duration ended up being three days.

The researchers found a 24 percent reduction in mortality in the patients that received zinc with hydroxychloroquine compared with controls.

If zinc was prescribed alone, it showed no benefit. And the doctors found hydroxychloroquine to be harmful to patients when prescribed alone.

“So, it was really the combination where you could boost intracellular zinc levels that was efficacious in terms of reducing mortality,” Frontera said.

These findings are particularly important, the authors write, because this treatment method is less expensive other COVID-19 treatments currently under investigation.

SOURCE: https://www.neurologyinsights.com/2020/12/01/study-zinc-hydroxychloroquine-combination-reduces-covid-19-mortality-rates/

RELATED: Hydroxychloroquine plus Zinc plus Azithromycin

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How much zinc to take with hydroxychloroquine​?

The AAPS recommends the following early outpatient or ambulatory treatment protocol for COVID-19 patients:

1.1. HCQ (hydroxychloroquine) 200 mg orally twice a day (do take note that your intake of zinc will need to continue). Zinc is critical. It helps block the virus from multiplying. Hydroxychloroquine is the carrier taking zinc INTO the cells to do its job. If you are taking hydroxychloroquine, you might not need to take quercetin OR

1.2. Ivermectin 0.2 mg/kg per dose: one dose daily, minimum 2 days; maximum 5 days.

2. Zinc sulphate 220 mg (equivalent to 50 mg of elemental zinc)

Supplements contain several forms of zinc, including zinc gluconate, zinc sulfate, and zinc acetate. The percentage of elemental zinc varies by form. For example, approximately 23% of zinc sulfate consists of elemental zinc; thus, 220 mg of zinc sulfate contains 50 mg of elemental zinc.

3. Azithromycin 500 mg once daily for 5 days.

Find A Doctor who will Prescribe Hydroxychloroquine

Telemedicine: https://www.americasfrontlinedoctors.com/how-do-i-get-covid-19-medication/

Telemedicine: https://speakwithanmd.com/corsination

Telemedicine: FrontlineMDs.com

Telemedicine: https://myfreedoctor.com/

List of Independent Practices: https://aapsonline.org/covidearlytreatment

List #2 Independent Practices: https://www.doctorsdontfearcovid.com/

FLCCC Alliance: https://covid19criticalcare.com/network-support/the-flccc-alliance/

Arnot Health & Lake Erie College of Medicine (upstate NY): https://www.arnothealth.org/

Bethany Medical (North Carolina): https://bethanymedicalcenter.com/

Budesonide Protocol Practices: https://budesonideworks.com/providers/

For those who have found a doctor that has prescribed HCQ but their pharmacy will not fulfill the early treatment prescription – it can be overnighted by – Ravkoo Pharmacy : Phone: 863-875-5700
https://www.myravkoo.com/public/pharmacy