The efficacy of COVID–19 treatment's guidelines that have been used in Iraq from January–April, 2020

Abstract

Background: COVID – 19 outbreak is growing up and it involved almost all countries and cities, and the number of cases reached a million in all the world. There is no specific antiviral for the disease, all the drugs are being used are experimental and nonspecific for SARS-CoV-2. Iraq has 961 confirmed cases with a recovery rate of 31% and a death rate of 6.3% till April 5, 2020. Methodology: It is a cross-sectional study involving 878 confirmed cases data in Iraq till the 5th of April, 2020. The diagnosis of COVID – 19 is being done by using (real-time-PCR techniques). The recovery of the patients is confirmed by using real-time-PCR technique too (Two negative results with 24 hours apart). Results: Iraq's hospitals and health centers started to use the official guidelines with doctors' call on the COVID – 19 patients on the first of March and the guidelines were modified later. The main drugs that have been used are hydroxychloroquine with Azithromycin or with Lopinavir/Ritonavir. The number of recovered patients from all the confirmed cases reached 279 (about 31% of the cases). Conclusion: There are several drugs that have been used in treating of supporting COVID – 19 patients, but they are not specific so the research is still going on while the disease is spreading very fast. Hydroxychloroquine in combination with other drugs are the most effective and safer than other options with fewer effects. They are being used in Iraq with high recovery rate among the patients.