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

Thales Launches AI Security Fabric, Providing AI Runtime Security for Agentic AI and LLM-Powered Applications11.12.2025 09:00:00 CET | Press release

Thales launches its new AI Security Fabric, delivering the first runtime security capabilities designed to protect Agentic AI, LLM-powered applications, enterprise data, and identities.New capabilities address emerging AI-specific threats—including prompt injection, data leakage, model manipulation, and insecure RAG pipelines—helping organizations innovate safely while maintaining compliance.With upcoming 2026 enhancements, Thales aims to provide a comprehensive security layer for AI ecosystems, enabling enterprises to confidently scale AI adoption across cloud and on-premises environments. AI is one of the fastest-growing technologies in the history of modern business, with the ability to revolutionize industries, optimize operations, and drive innovation, but it is also introducing security gaps, risks, and vulnerabilities. According to McKinsey, 78% of organizations are using AI in at least one business function, up from 55% two years ago. As a result, 73% of them are investing in A

Interactive Brokers Adds Access to Brazil’s B3 Exchange11.12.2025 09:00:00 CET | Press release

Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR), an automated global electronic broker, today announced that eligible clients outside of Brazil can now trade Brazilian equities through B3, the Brazil Stock Exchange. This expansion gives investors more ways to access emerging market opportunities across Latin America alongside global stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, funds, and more through a single unified platform. The B3 Exchange is one of the most active and liquid markets in the region. With this addition, investors will have direct access to trade Brazilian equities, plus over 160 markets worldwide using Interactive Brokers’ powerful trading platforms and tools. “Global investors need seamless access to diverse markets to stay competitive,” said Milan Galik, Chief Executive Officer of Interactive Brokers. “By adding Brazil’s B3 Exchange, we’re giving our clients efficient, low-cost access to one of the world’s most dynamic emerging economies through our unified global platform.” Int

Kyowa Kirin Announces Proposed Appointment of Abdul Mullick to President and Chief Executive Officer, While Former CEO Masashi Miyamoto to Remain Chairman11.12.2025 08:30:00 CET | Press release

Leadership Changes to Take Effect Following Conclusion of Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in March 2026Announcement Follows Year of Dual CEO / COO Model and Returns Company to Single Leader Structure Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. (TSE:4151, Kyowa Kirin), a Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced the Board of Directors’ decision to appoint Abdul Mullick, Ph.D., currently President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The appointment will become effective March 2026 following the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. As Mullick takes on the role of President and CEO for Kyowa Kirin, current CEO Masashi Miyamoto, Ph.D., remains Chairman. In March 2025, shareholders approved a dual CEO / COO model, with Mullick appointed to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, partnering with Miyamoto to lead the global organisation. The model provided a transition period for Mullick

Galderma Announces First Patient Enrollment in Study to Assess Nemolizumab in Adults With Chronic Pruritus of Unknown Origin11.12.2025 07:00:00 CET | Press release

Chronic Pruritus of Unknown Origin (CPUO) is characterized by a persistent, chronic itch with an unknown cause and is associated with very high burden of disease due to severe itch, sleep deprivation and mental distress1 Galderma’s phase II study builds on emerging research that reinforces the role of IL-31 – a neuroimmune cytokine that is involved in driving itch – in CPUO1 Nemolizumab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the IL-31 receptor alpha, inhibiting the signaling of IL-312 It is approved by multiple regulatory authorities for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis – conditions in which IL-31 plays a key role in driving itch, inflammation, epidermal dysregulation, and, in prurigo nodularis, fibrosis2-6 Galderma (SIX: GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced the first patient enrollment for its phase II study investigating the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab in treating patients living with Chronic P

Ant International and HSBC Test New Cross-Border Payments Solution Using Tokenised Deposits on Swift’s Network and Powered by ISO 2002211.12.2025 04:00:00 CET | Press release

ISO 20022-enabled solution allows blockchain interoperability on Swift’s network, using Ant International’s technology and HSBC’s Tokenised Deposit Service Integration with Swift’s network extends AML and anti-fraud capabilities to tokenised deposits transactions Proof of concept (POC) marks a step towards enabling seamless money movement across borders Ant International, HSBC and Swift today have completed a successful Proof of Concept (POC) for the cross-border transfer of tokenised deposits using ISO 20022 standards. The initiative leverages Swift’s global messaging network and HSBC’s recently launched Tokenised Deposit Service, combined with Ant International’s blockchain technology. The POC marks a key milestone in Ant International, HSBC, and Swift’s efforts to help businesses unlock the full benefits of tokenisation for enhanced liquidity, programmable finance, and 24/7 real-time settlement. As part of this initiative, Ant International and HSBC successfully integrated Ant Inter

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