Latest results from RECOVERY trial: Azithromycin does not benefit patients hospitalised with COVID-19

No improvement in 28-day mortality, duration of hospital stay, or progression to invasive mechanical ventilation/ death.

https://www.recoverytrial.net/news/recovery-trial-finds-no-benefit-from-azithromycin-in-patients-hospitalised-with-covid-19

7764 pts randomised:

This is an important result:
Azithromycin is on the WHO Watch Group of Antibiotics: antibiotics.

Widespread use of azithromycin for COVID-19 for which it is ineffective risks the development of resistance by bacterial infections for which it is effective.

We have seen time and again during this epidemic the importance of large randomised clinical trials in determining which of the many promising treatments deliver real benefits for patients.

If in doubt:
- don’t guess
- don’t prescribe & hope
- randomise & learn.

Once again, we thank the thousands of NHS doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and research staff who have contributed to the RECOVERY trial and the quest for knowledge about how best to reduce the terrible burden of this disease.

As always, huge thanks to all involved including funders ( @UKRI_News @NIHRresearch), colleagues ( @OxfordBRC @hdruk @Oxford_NDPH @NDMOxford), the NHS ( @NHSEngland @NHSDigital) and the thousands of medical staff across the whole UK.

Above all we must thank the 20,000 patients who have taken part in this extraordinary and truly world-leading effort.

The improved care of COVID patients today is thanks to the selfless contribution of RECOVERY participants in the past – and in turn, the care of patients tomorrow will be better as a consequence of those volunteering today.

Thank you.

Note: We did not study, and cannot comment on, the role of azithromycin for patients with early COVID-19 who have not (yet) been admitted to hospital.

Full details of this preliminary analysis are available as a pre-print on @medrxivpreprint:

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.10.20245944v1

The manuscript has been submitted to a peer-reviewed medical journal.