New Study Finds Use of Zinc, Hydroxychloroquine, and Azithromycin Associated with Reduced Mortality in COVID-19 Patients

Japan

Mortality rate among prescribed COVID-19 patients is only 0.71%

Find this article in English and other languages here.
Find the direct link for download here.

New York, July 2, 2020 – Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, a primary care physician based in New York, announced today the publication of a retrospective study analyzing his patients, which is now available online at www.TheZelenkoProtocol.com. This study, which is currently under peer review, demonstrates that early outpatient treatment of COVID-19 patients reduces the probability of hospitalization or death by a factor of five. The treatment consists of zinc, low-dose hydroxychloroquine, and azithromycin.

Most of the previous studies included critically ill patients in hospitals, including those who were on ventilators for emergency care. In contrast, this study examines the outcomes of early treatment from the time patients were first assessed by a physician. Using a simple risk stratification criteria, Zelenko identified which patients required the three-drug regimen and prescribed it for five days.

The main results were that among 141 patients prescribed the three-drug regimen, only 2.8% (4/141) were hospitalized, compared to 15.4% (58/377) in the untreated control group (odds ratio 0.16, 95% CI 0.06-0.5; p < 0.001). Furthermore, just 0.71% (1/141) of the treated group died compared to 3.5% (13/377) in the untreated group (odds ratio 0.2, 95% CI 0.03-1.5; p=0.16).

Zelenko conducted this retrospective analysis and study in collaboration with Dr. Roland Derwand, a physician and life science industry expert from Germany, and Professor Martin Scholz, an independent consultant and adjunct professor of experimental pharmacology at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany. Derwand and Scholz were the first to refer to Zelenko’s treatment protocol in an academic context. They recently published a paper hypothesizing that the combination of low-dose hydroxychloroquine and zinc could be essential in treating COVID-19. While Derwand and Scholz led further data analysis, Zelenko was responsible for treating the patients.

“This study is significantly different because it focuses on early diagnosis and outpatient treatment of COVID-19 patients,” said Derwand. “Unfortunately, we seem to have forgotten a common medical knowledge rule – that patients with infections should be treated as early as possible. Zelenko was quick to prescribe the three drug regimen immediately after identifying the risk stratification criteria, not waiting for the patients to become severely ill.”

“It was unfortunate that the media coverage around hydroxychloroquine has been negative,” continued Zelenko. “These three-drug regimens are cheap and perfectly suitable for outpatient treatment in tablet form. They work, but need to be administered before the patient deteriorates to the point of needing hospitalization.”

“The primary function of hydroxychloroquine is to let zinc enter the cells. Zinc kills the virus,” Zelenko added. “Azithromycin reduces secondary bacterial infections in the lungs, decreasing the risk of pulmonary complications. Therefore, zinc is the bullet, hydroxychloroquine is the gun, and azithromycin is the bulletproof vest.”

“This is the first study on outpatients with COVID-19 demonstrating how simple risk stratification can aid quick decision-making on treatment methods right after symptom onset,” said Professor Scholz. “The three-drug regimen over five days achieved remarkable reductions in hospitalization and mortality rates, with negligible side effects on the heart compared with untreated cases. The significance of these results underlines the importance of using early treatment with low-dose hydroxychloroquine in combination with zinc. These data could influence current pandemic response policies and future clinical trials.”

About Dr. Roland Derwand

Based in Munich, Derwand is a physician and life sciences expert with over 20 years of experience. Currently, he is the head of the medical department at a U.S. biotech company’s German branch. He participated in this study in an independent personal capacity. He has held various positions at national, European, and global levels in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He earned his medical degree from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, his MBA from PFH Private University of Applied Sciences in Göttingen, Germany, and his doctorate in cardiovascular physiology.

About Professor Martin Scholz

Scholz holds a Ph.D. from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and is an adjunct professor of experimental pharmacology at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany. He is also an executive of a start-up consultancy firm. Previously, Scholz was the chief scientific officer at LEUKOCARE AG, a biotech company he co-founded in 2001. Scholz holds the title of professor honoris causa from the Faculty of Medicine Marilia (FAMEMA) in São Paulo, Brazil.

About Dr. Vladimir Zelenko

Zelenko graduated from SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine in 2000. He is board-certified in family medicine and serves as the medical director at Monsey Family Medical Center.

For more information, visit www.thezelenkoprotocol.com.
For media inquiries, contact countermediarelations@gmail.com.