days of mechanical ventilation, days of hospitalization and cumulative incidence of serious adverse events. ResultsA total of 214 patients with COVID-19 were recruited, randomized and analyzed. They were hypoxemic with a mean SpO2 of 65% {+/-} 20, tachycardic (pulse rate 108{+/-}17 min-1) and tachypneic (32 {+/-}10 min-1); 162 were under mechanical ventilation at randomization. Thirty-day mortality was similar in both groups (38% in Hydroxychloroquine vs. 41% in placebo, hazard ratio [HR] 0.88, 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] 0.51-1.53). In the surviving participants, no significant difference was found in secondary outcomes. ConclusionNo beneficial effect or significant harm could be demonstrated in our randomized controlled trial including 214 patients, using relatively low doses of Hydroxychloroquine compared with placebo in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. CONSORT GUIDELINES O_TBL View this table org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c46418org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1877269org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1685cb1org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@9d8b09org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11339bc_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_TBL C_TBL