Is
Hydroxychloroquine The Treatment For Coronavirus?
In the past,
hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been making news again. US President Donald Trump
has once again promoted the use of this drug as a cure for the Coronavirus, or
COVID-19. The US has also reached out to India to lift the ban on hydroxychloroquine
exports, which India had imposed on March 26. It is not just Trump and the US
who want India to lift restrictions on exports of what is believed to be the
miracle drug to cure Coronavirus. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, among
other state leaders, is also believed to have reached out to the Indian
authorities in an attempt to have the ban overturned. In fact, the Government
of India has already placed an order of 10 crore tablets with Ipca laboratories
and Zydus Cadila.
What is Chloroquine?
Chloroquine phosphate is
a class of drugs called antimalarials and amebicides and is used to prevent and
treat malaria, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
They add that
Chloroquine phosphate is used occasionally to decrease the symptoms of rheumatoid
arthritis and to treat systemic and discoid lupus erythematosus, scleroderma,
pemphigus, lichen planus, polymyositis, sarcoidosis, and porphyria cutanea
tarda.
Governments believe that
hydroxychloroquine tablets can work as a prophylactic, a medicine that prevents
disease, for the health workers working on the frontlines in hospitals and as
first responders to possible Coronavirus infection cases.
Uses
Hydroxychloroquine is used to prevent or
treat malaria caused by mosquito bites.
The
United States Center for Disease Control provides updated guidelines and travel
recommendations for the prevention and treatment of malaria in different parts of the world.
Discuss
the most recent information with your doctor before traveling to areas where
malaria occurs.
This medication is
also used to treat certain auto-immune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis).
It
belongs to a class of medications known
as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). It can reduce skin problems in lupus and prevent swelling/pain in arthritis.
What experts say on the use of
hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 patients
Top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony
Fauci, in an interview with CNN said,"I would have two words for you:
'second opinion.' Hydroxychloroquine is officially approved for treating
malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, but not Covid-19."
Fauci said more testing is needed before it's
clear that the drug works against the coronavirus and is safe for COVID-19
patients. Health experts also warn the drugs’ well-known side effects could become
commonplace with wide use.
In particular, they say, patients with existing
heart problems or taking certain drugs, such as anti-depressants that affect
heart rhythm, are at risk of a fatal episode.
Experts recommend screening before the drugs are
prescribed to prevent drug-related deaths.
Demand for hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine is an inexpensive and easily
available drug. However, its demand has risen dramatically ever since it was
named as a possible treatment for Covid-19. India manufactures it in large
quantities.
The government banned the export of the drug
"without any exception". The order came even as the number of
positive cases of Covid-19 spiked in the country.
However, the government partially lifted the
ban, paving the way for its supply to the US and several other countries hit
hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Government officials said India would export
hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol on a case-by-case basis to the countries
which have already placed orders for them after meeting the domestic
requirements.
The decision to partially lift the ban on
hydroxychloroquine came to the fore hours after US President Donald Trump
warned of retaliation if India does not heed to his request to supply the drug,
cited by him as a viable therapeutic solution to fight coronavirus infection.
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