Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19: therapeutic promises, current status, and environmental implications

Rajnish Kumar (1) , Anju Sharma (2) , Janmejai Kumar Srivastava (1) , Mohammed Haris Siddiqui (3) , Md. Sahab Uddin (4, 5) , Lotfi Aleya (6)

1 Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh Lucknow Campus, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Department of Applied Science, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
3 Department of Bioengineering, Integral University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
4 Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
5 Pharmakon Neuroscience Research Network, Dhaka, Bangladesh
6 LCE - Laboratoire Chrono-environnement (UMR 6249)

The outbreak of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected the entire world with its infectious spread and mortality rate. The severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are characterized by hypoxia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In the absence of any specific treatment, just the preventive and supportive care options are available. Therefore, much focus is given to assess the available therapeutic options not only to avoid acute respiratory failure and hypoxia but also to reduce the viral load to control the severity of the disease. The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is among the much-discussed drugs for the treatment and management of COVID-19 patients. This article reviews the therapeutic potential of HCQ in the treatment of COVID-19 based on the available in vitro and clinical evidence, current status of registered HCQ-based clinical trials investigating therapeutic options for COVID-19, and environmental implications of HCQ.

Mots clés: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Hydroxychloroquine; Pandemic; Environmental implications; Clinical trials; Treatment

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement

Rajnish Kumar, Anju Sharma, Janmejai Kumar Srivastava, Mohammed Haris Siddiqui, Md. Sahab Uddin, et al.. Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19: therapeutic promises, current status, and environmental implications. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021, ⟨10.1007/s11356-020-12200-1⟩. ⟨hal-03111881⟩