COVID: Max hospital group to study use of HCQ among healthcare workers
Max hospital group on Thursday said it will conduct a large-scale observational study involving the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prophylaxis among its healthcare workers, including those taking care of COVID-19 patients. The study by Max Healthcare aims to collect seroepidemiological data from 10,000 healthcare workers employed at various facilities owned by Max Healthcare and Radiant Lifecare, and study the effectiveness of HCQ as prophylaxis for coronavirus infection, it said in a statement.
"The large-scale observational study will involve the use of hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis among its healthcare workers, including those taking care of COVID-19 positive patients," it said.
The study will look at a large amount of data from healthcare workers and try to establish a correlation between the use of HCQ prophylaxis and the incidence of COVID-19 among healthcare workers.
Based on the results of this study, Max Healthcare might decide to conduct a randomised control study of the HCQ prophylaxis, it said.
''Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the clinicians and scientists community have been in a race to research various aspects of this disease to explore possible prevention and treatment aspects. It is only clinical research that will help prevention of the further spread of this disease," it said.
"The main aim is to reach out to a maximum number of healthcare workers, follow up on incidence of COVID in them and understand the disease pattern in relation to HCQ in COVID prevention," said Dr Sujeet Jha, Principal Investigator, Principal Director, Endocrinology and Diabetes at Max Healthcare.
Abhay Soi, Chairman Max Healthcare said, "We are hopeful that this will be our small but significant contribution in the global fight against COVID-19''.
The results of the study are likely to be published in another three weeks, it said.
(With PTI inputs)
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