Read the actual paper: "Hydroxychloroquine-treated patients were more severely ill at baseline than those who did not receive hydroxychloroquine (median ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen, 223 vs. 360)."
So the sickest patients had worse outcomes, when you give them an antiviral drug that does not help very sick patients. Duh. We already knew that. That's exactly what the VA study told us. HCQ is not a miracle drug that can save people as a last resort.
They also were giving some patients remdesivir, azithromycin, or some other antiviral drug. It's pretty messy, but they say they fixed up all of that with some whiz-band stats.
>What is the evidence that zinc helps? Any studies?
Easy to Google. Lots of papers about hydroxychloroquine as a zinc ionophore. Lots of papers on zinc blocking corona virus replication in vitro. Some government health authorities recommending the combination. Some studies underway, ie:
HCQ and Zinc Trial Actually, the whole "compassionat use" system is totally ineffective for antivirals. You have to ask the FDA for a drug for your dying patient, when the drug does not work for dying patients. I suspect that has happened a lot with remdesivir.
