Business Wire

NY-SERMO

Share
Largest Statistically Significant Study by 6,200 Multi-Country Physicians on COVID-19 Uncovers Treatment Patterns and Puts Pandemic in Context

Widespread confusion, conflicting reports, inconsistent testing, and off-indication use of existing and experimental drugs has resulted in no single source of information from the frontlines. To create a centralized and dynamic knowledge base, Sermo , the largest global healthcare polling company and social platform for physicians, leveraged its capabilities to publish results of a COVID-19 study with more than 6,200 physicians in 30 countries. The study was completed in three days. Data covers current treatment and prophylaxis options, timing to the outbreak peak, ethical choices, effectiveness of government responses, and much more. Multiple study waves including a deeper dive into treatments will be conducted over the next several weeks. To view results and countries visit sermo.com .

Key findings; Sermo Real Time Barometer *:

Treatments & Efficacy

  • The three most commonly prescribed treatments amongst COVID-19 treaters are 56% analgesics, 41% Azithromycin, and 33% Hydroxychloroquine
  • Hydroxychloroquine usage amongst COVID-19 treaters is 72% in Spain, 49% in Italy, 41% in Brazil, 39% in Mexico, 28% in France, 23% in the U.S., 17% in Germany, 16% in Canada, 13% in the UK, and 7% in Japan
  • Hydroxychloroquine was overall chosen as the most effective therapy amongst COVID-19 treaters from a list of 15 options. (37% of COVID-19 treaters)
    • 75% in Spain, 53% Italy, 44% in China, 43% in Brazil, 29% in France, 23% in the U.S., and 13% in the UK
  • The two most common treatment regimens for Hydroxychloroquine were:
    • (38%) 400mg twice daily on day one; 400 mg daily for five days
    • (26%) 400mg twice daily on day one; 200mg twice daily for four days
  • Outside the U.S., Hydroxychloroquine was equally used for diagnosed patients with mild to severe symptoms whereas in the U.S. it was most commonly used for high risk diagnosed patients
  • Globally, 19% of physicians prescribed or have seen Hydroxychloroquine prophylactically used for high risk patients, and 8% for low risk patients

Second Wave of Outbreak

  • The second global outbreak is anticipated by 83% of global physicians, 90% of U.S. physicians but only 50% of Chinese physicians

Average Testing Time

  • On average tests in the U.S. take 4-5 days, and in 10% of cases the wait is more than 7 days
  • 14% of U.S. physicians and over 50% in all of Europe and Japan report getting test results in 24 hours; in China 73% of doctors get tests back in 24 hours, while 8% get tests back within the hour

Prioritizing Treatment if Ventilator Shortage

  • In all countries except China, the top criteria for deciding who should receive a ventilator first was patients with the highest chance of recovery (47%) followed by those most ill and at highest risk of death (21%), then first responders (15%)
    • In China the priorities were reversed as the most ill and highest risk of death received ventilators
  • First responders were more important in the U.S.
  • France, Japan, and Italy prioritized age
  • Brazil and Russia prioritized higher risk patients

Peak Timing & Restrictions

  • In the U.S., 63% of physicians recommend restrictions be lifted six or more weeks from now and 66% believe the peak is at least 3-4 weeks away

For the full methodology click here .

“This is a treasure trove of global insights for policy makers. Physicians should have more of a voice in how we deal with this pandemic and be able to quickly share information with one another and the world,” said Peter Kirk, CEO, Sermo. “With censorship of the media and the medical community in some countries, along with biased and poorly designed studies, solutions to the pandemic are being delayed. We invite global physicians to contribute to help inform policy makers, their colleagues, and the public.”

*Results provide physician observations but are not a substitute for official medical guidelines.

Methodology

Results are reported for individual countries with a minimum sample size of 250. Such a sample size provides for point estimates with a +/- 6% precision at a 94% confidence level. Thirty countries included in the study are the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, Poland, Russia, Finland, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia, China, India, and Hong Kong. No incentive was offered to respondents. Full methodology .

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1,3MM HCPs across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com .

Link:

ClickThru

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Microsize and Schedio Group to Acquire Lonza’s Micro-Macinazione Site in Switzerland24.11.2025 15:05:00 CET | Press release

Microsize, a leading CDMO specializing in particle size reduction and control technologies, today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Micro-Macinazione (Mic Mac), a dedicated micronization facility in Monteggio, Switzerland, from Lonza. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124545344/en/ The agreement represents Microsize’s second acquisition from Lonza, following the successful 2022 divestment of its Quakertown, Pennsylvania site. In this transaction, Schedio Group – a Swiss-based provider of jet mills, isolators, spray dryers, and engineering services – is investing alongside Microsize to strengthen and localize its operational base in Europe, advancing a shared vision to lead the next generation of integrated particle engineering solutions. With more than 30 years of experience, Mic Mac has served the pharmaceutical industry with proven GMP-compliant jet milling and micronization capabilities for b

Hytera to Debut S1 E at PMRExpo 202524.11.2025 14:17:00 CET | Press release

Hytera, a leading global provider of critical communications technologies and solutions, today introduced the S1 E, a business-ready, palm-sized two-way radio designed specifically for the retail sector, expanding the portfolio of S Series and providing one more option for retail users to choose for their daily operations. The S1 E will make its debut at PMRExpo, the Europe's premier trade fair for secure, mission- and business-critical communication, taking place from November 25th to 27th, 2025, at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124768341/en/ Hytera New Released Licence-free Analogue Business Radio S1 E Adhering to the S Series’ signature design language, the S1 E combines a stylish, modern, and minimalist aesthetic with practical functionality. Weighing under 85g, the S1 E provides all-day wearing comfort without tugging or weighing down uniforms. Key enhancements and sta

Merck Takes Patient-Directed Approach to Bring Innovation to the Treatment of Rare Neuromuscular Disorder, Generalized Myasthenia Gravis24.11.2025 14:00:00 CET | Press release

Cladribine capsules have the potential to be the first oral treatment for people living with rare, chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder, generalized Myasthenia GravisCladribine capsules has received Fast Track designation and Orphan Drug Designation by the US FDAMerck has established an MG patient council to provide insights on how to best meet the needs of patients in the gMG rare disease community Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for cladribine capsules for the treatment of the rare, chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder, generalized Myasthenia Gravis (gMG). In June 2023, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation for cladribine capsules for the treatment of gMG. In addition, the Company is actively collaborating with patient organizations and Ad Scientiam, a medical technology company, to support a patient-directed approach to the future management of gMG. If approved

BENEFIT and Ant International Partner to Launch Alipay+ in Bahrain to Achieve Global E-Wallet Connectivity24.11.2025 13:04:00 CET | Press release

Partnership will integrate Alipay+ with BENEFIT, Bahrain’s national QR payment scheme, to enable all Bahraini merchants to accept cross-border digital payments from leading digital wallets and explore outbound payment capabilities. Both parties will explore developing next-generation digital payment framework to support Bahrain’s digital transformation journey. BENEFIT, the Bahraini innovator and a leading company in fintech and electronic financial transactions service, and Ant International, a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider, headquartered in Singapore, have partnered to launch cross-border QR payments between Bahrain’s BENEFIT QR payment scheme and Ant International’s global wallet gateway, Alipay+, during 2026 to support the transition toward a more inclusive digital payments ecosystem. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124405672/en/ (L-R): Hessa Husain, Depu

NIQ Joins TikTok Marketing Partners Program Earning Media Mix Modeling Badge24.11.2025 12:00:00 CET | Press release

Recognition underscores NIQ’s leadership in delivering advanced analytics and full-funnel outcomes measurement on TikTok. NIQ, a global leader in consumer intelligence, has earned a partner badge in TikTok’s newly launched Media Mix Modeling (MMM) program – a focus area within TikTok’s Marketing Partners Program. The Marketing Partners Program is composed of carefully selected third-party partners across different categories and specialties who have met TikTok’s rigorous standards for quality and expertise. Badging signals advanced proficiency in media analytics, ensuring state-of-the-art MMM measurement for marketers around the world. As a badged MMM Marketing Partner, NIQ can help advertisers measure the full funnel impact of their marketing campaigns on TikTok and TikTok Shop, enabling them to optimize strategies based on data-driven insights that look beyond last click attribution. As part of the Marketing Partners Program, TikTok’s new reporting API is integrated into NIQ, providi

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye