Zelenko et al preprint . Triple therapy prehospitalisation, Zn HCQ azithromycin.
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202007.0025/v1/download
TX:
Only diagnosed COVID patients with the defined risk stratification requirements
of group A, B, or C got a prescription
for the following triple therapy for 5 consecutive days
in addition to standard supportive care:
zinc sulfate (220 mg capsule once daily,(containing 50 mg elemental zinc )
HCQ (200 mg twice daily),
and azithromycin (500 mg once daily).
No loading dose was used.
Tx group n=141.. UnTx group N=377
SAFETY
In general, therapy with zinc, low dose HCQ, and azithromycin was well tolerated.
After initiation of treatment 30 of 141 patients (21%) reported weakness
, 20 (14%) nausea, 15 (11%) diarrhea, and 2 (1%) rash
No patient reported palpitations or any cardiac side effect.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
Almost no general clinical data of COVID outpatients exists and hence responsible
experts and stakeholders should ensure a common effort to close this gap
by designing studies specifically for primary care setting
Ongoing studies with HCQ should be amended to include combination with zinc.
Based on our and others preliminary data,
the triple therapy zinc, low dose HCQ, and azithromycin should be used and tested to generate prospective data as soon as possible.
Not an RCT..as Zelenko says
RCTs take money and time, especially with prehospitalisation patients.
Zelenko question . Given the US death rates..
.Is it better to be empirically alive than to be clinically dead?