The role of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in lowering the viral load of patients with COVID-19 is controversial. In our Institute, we treated more than 30,000 people with COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, using the same diagnostic tools and the same treatment dosages. In this retrospective comparative study of data collected over this period, we aimed to compare the viral clearance in the nasopharynx as determined by qPCR in patients who were treated with HCQ and those who were not. As a new feature, we adjusted the data according to the most significant confounding factors (age, initial viral load, and timescale between the onset of symptoms and treatment). Of the 1 276 patients selected from our database, 776 were treated with HCQ and 500 were not. Viral clearance in the treatment group was reached significantly earlier than in the non-treatment group, at days 5, 10 and 30. These differences remain significant after adjustments for confounding factors. In conclusion, although age, initial viral load, and time to treatment do influence the viral load in patients with COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine associated with azithromycin still independently significantly lowered viral load more rapidly than other treatments, including azithromycin alone.

Background: Optimizing the monitoring of peripheral venous catheters is essential. We developed a nursing record system at bedside (Patient Smart Reader®) to track peripheral venous catheters acts. Aims: Improve peripheral venous catheter monitoring. To improve the quality of monitoring, we aimed to increase the usage rate of nursing record system at bedside. Methods: We developed a “commitment intervention” course based on binding communication paradigm. Evaluation of its performance on monitoring was analyzed using a p-chart and time series analysis. Findings: Nurses observed a significant improvement in compliance with catheter monitoring over time (shifts after shifts), ranging from 27.6% (CI = [25.3; 30.0]) of compliance before commitment intervention to 47.4% (CI = [45.0; 49.9]) after training. The commitment intervention increased the chances of carrying out monitoring through the tool for acts related to peripheral venous catheter by 2.42 (odds ratio) (CI = [1.88; 3.11]). Conclusion: Binding communication provides an effective method for changing nurses’ behaviors in terms of safe care. The determinants of engagement (individual vs. collective) can be indicators for defining future communication and training strategies in care centers for all Health care workers.