Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat COVID-19, are really efficient?
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are two medicines currently used and authorized to treat malaria. Some countries are using them to treat coronavirus disease, (COVID-19). However, their efficacy in treating SARS-CoV-2 is yet to be shown in studies.
As reported on the European Medicine Agency, both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are used worldwide to treat malaria and some autoimmune disease. There is no scientific evidence that declares these two drugs could be efficient in treating COVID-19. However, the US, guided by the tycoon Donald Trump, are keeping on using them to treat hospitalized patients. The US President, Donald Trump has repeatedly touted its potential against the virus and the government has built up a massive stockpile of these drugs.
The CNN reported the consideration of the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, Dr Deborah Birx, i.e. that the tests in labs have demonstrated some efficacy against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus responsible for the present pandemic, but, also that this does not mean that it will work in humans.
Dr David Boulware, an infectious disease professor at the University of Minnesota, decided to contribute in this research by launching two large clinical trials that will evaluate in particular hydroxychloroquine in two different groups of people. The trials will answer two big questions: can hydroxychloroquine prevent infections, and can it reduce hospitalization for those who already are infected?
The trials started with the enrollment of COVID-19 patients, divided into two groups: the first, composed of people who have been exposed to a known case in the past few days, and the second, composed of people who have just started developing symptoms.
Boulware is looking to see if the first group of people can lower their chances of developing an infection by taking hydroxychloroquine. While the second group will be tested to see if hydroxychloroquine can reduce the need for hospitalization by treating this patient group early on in the disease’s course.
As Dr Boulware said that the vast majority of COVID-19 affected people are not hospitalized, so if they could break that chain of infection by identifying somebody and then prophylax everyone around them that’s been in contact with them to prevent infection, you can stamp out stuff much quicker.