Chloroquine for Mild Symptomatic and Asymptomatic COVID-19 in A Two Staged, Multicenter, Open Label and Randomized Trial

19 COVID is a deadly viral disease that has been spreading around the world for several months, and is caused by a CORONA family virus (COVID-19). This virus family causes upper respiratory tract disease and sometimes severe and fatal lung disease, as in the past: SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and -MERS-CoV.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic there has been a constant search for effective drug treatment for the disease. Following IN-VITRO evidence of the antiviral effect of CHLOROQUINE in CORONA viruses, this drug has been used empirically for COVID-19 patients and is currently recommended in Israel for the treatment of intermediate and severity disease.

Currently, it is not common to treat patients with mild illness or asymptomatic carriers. In these situations, isolation is recommended until upper respiratory tract surfaces no longer show the presence of the virus, a period of approximately 20 days. .

The mechanism of action of chloroquine is in part by inhibiting the virus distribution, and changing the intracellular acidity, the virus distribution site. The intracellular chloroquine concentration is determined by a pump called PGP that removes the drug from the cell and is activated by the drug. In the treatment of malaria, the benefit of low dosage of the drug has been shown to be effective due to the fact that the intracellular concentration of the drug is probably higher, and therefore the logic to examine this issue in COVID-19 treatment.

The purpose of this study is to test whether a low dose of Chloroquine will reduce the duration of the viral shedding and prevent the disease from worsening. Reducing the duration of viral shedding, shortens the time when there is a risk that the person will spread the disease, and the time when the person is in isolation and cannot return to his normal life.