Abstract
Background: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Its use among patients with COVID19 is a matter of controversy. Also, previous studies mostly assessed hospitalized patients who were more likely severely infected. Literature in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lack, thus, the current study investigated the role of HCQ in patients affected with COVID19 visiting an outpatient specialized COVID-19 in Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: This is a case-control study conducted among 399 patients with COVID-19 at Tatamman Clinic, Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia during the period from August 2020 to December 2020. One hundred ninety-nine were given HCQ and those who refused the treatment were considered as controls). Demographic data, vital signs, and baseline symptoms including fever, sore throat, cough, loss of smell, difficulty in breathing, and other gastrointestinal symptoms were recorded. The patients were followed and for the reported symptoms. All the participants signed a written informed consent and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for a comparison between intervention and control groups. Results: They were 399 patients with COVID-19 matched for age and sex. No significant differences between the intervention and control group regarding COVID-19 symptoms. Conclusion: Covid-19 symptomatology was no affected by HCQ treatment and its use in mild-moderate disease and chemoprophylaxis is not recommended.