OHSE3620: Positive impact of oral hydroxychloroquine and povidone-iodine throat spray for COVID-19 prophylaxis: Epidemiology & Environmental Health Assignment, UoN, Singapore

Article to read: Positive impact of oral hydroxychloroquine and povidone-iodine throat spray for COVID-19 prophylaxis: an open-label randomized trial.

QUESTIONS
1. Which one of the 4 types of Research Aims – (a) to measure the amount of exposure, (b) to measure the amount of disease, (c) to measure the association between an exposure and disease, (d) to measure the association between treatment and disease, most accurately describes the main aim of this article?

2. Based on your answer to question 1, name the study design (one of the 10 study designs introduced in Lectures 2 &3) that was used by the researchers to achieve this research aim.

3. Name (a) the best alternative study design that could have been used to answer this research aim (1 mark) and give (b) one reason why this alternative design is generally inferior (not as good) to the design chosen by the researchers. and also give (c) three reasons why this alternative design could be superior (better).

4. Describe the focused elements of the main study aim.

5. (a) What is the meaning of the word “prophylaxis” in the title of the article? (2 marks) (b) Explain why it was important to study COVID-19 prophylaxis in this population of people

6. What pre-existing evidence was given to support the possibility that relatively simple interventions like oral hydroxychloroquine and povidone-iodine throat spray could actually be effective?

7. (a) Explain the important reason/s for including a reference comparison treatment when studying this research question? (1 mark) (b) Name the most logical alternative comparator that could have been used (but was not) by the researchers and their reason/s for not using this alternative.

8. Explain the main difference between a serologic test and a PCR test for the confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection (2 marks). Why did the researchers not rely on only the PCR test to measure the primary study outcome?