Effectiveness of Prophylactic Drugs for COVID-19 among Healthcare Professionals-A Cross-sectional Observational Study

Introduction: The risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections among healthcare workers are far greater than those in the general population. A number of prophylactic drugs were being studied during this time for use by the Healthcare Professionals (HCP) who were the first contacts of an infested patient, more so than the general population Aim: To evaluate the drugs used for pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 and their efficacy and safety among healthcare workers. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among two hundred and thirty seven healthcare professionals after taking requisite permission from the Institutional Ethics Committee (IHC). A prevalidated survey questionnaire containing 21 questions and an inbuilt consent form was prepared using the Google form. The responses were presented using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage. Results: Out of total, 112 (47.26%) participants were on a pre-exposure prophylactic drug, while 125 (52.74%) had not taken any prophylaxis. A total of 19 (16.96%) had used alternative medicine (Ayurveda and Homeopathy). Participants who had taken pre-exposure prophylaxis of modern medicine (n=93), 56 (60.21%) had received Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) alone or with another drug, and in total 27 (81.8%) had tested negative for COVID-19 infection while on HCQ. Ivermectin which seems to be the other drug which was preferred was taken by 16 participants, three were tested for COVID-19 and two were positive. Only four participants had reported experiencing an adverse drug reaction. Three of them experienced acidity, while on HCQ and one experienced headache, while on ivermectin. Conclusion: HCQ given in the dose as recommended by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had significantly reduced the number of infections among HCP.