Controversies over hydroxychloroquine in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection put rheumatologists on the frontline

摘要

The outburst of the novel COVID-19 has caused unprecedented stress in the healthcare systems and global economy since its outbreak in December 2019. Effective treatment for severely ill patients still needs to be identified, and many countries are still pushed by daily increases in case numbers and deaths. Furthermore, before a vaccine is made available or drugs eventually capable of preventing the infection are identified, exit strategies in those countries that have managed to bend the transmission curve are inevitably governed by trial and error. The alarm remains high also because COVID-19 flare-ups are increasingly likely and a second wave in fall is seen as a real risk.