South Florida clinic promotes antimalarial drug for coronavirus treatment
The CEO of a
Dr.
“I think we can make a big impact if we use this medicine in the right clinical context,” Hernandez said in an interview Tuesday, “while continuing to enforce social distancing and keeping people out of the hospital in combination with other measures.”
Chloroquine, an antiviral, burst into public consciousness at a news conference Thursday that included
Hahn corrected Trump’s statement, saying the drugs are approved for “compassionate use” -- meaning that under current FDA rules, they can be prescribed when other treatment options aren’t available. They have not been specifically approved for COVID-19.
Dr.
Chloroquine and a similar less toxic version, hydroxychloroquine, are derivatives of quinine, which was developed in 1820 as a treatment for fevers. Along with remdesivir, they are among a handful of drugs undergoing clinical tests in numerous countries based on small studies that showed positive results when given to COVID-19 patients, according to a recent advisory by the
Chloroquine has been used to treat malaria while hydroxychloroquine has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, the autoimmune disease lupus, and a blood disorder, porphyria, that affects the skin, the advisory states. Based on limited patient and lab testing, chloroquine and hyroxychloroquine are recommended in several countries for treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the advisory states.
Remdesivir is an intravenous drug that suppresses viral replication. It can help reduce contagion levels of COVID-19 within carriers. The drug is currently undergoing several clinical trials in the
A COVID-19 treatment guidance sheet from
Hernandez said
“One was a 91-year-old female with moderate to persistent asthma, trouble breathing, cough and a fever,” Hernandez said. “The risk of admitting her to the hospital outweighed the benefits. We don’t know definitively whether she has COVID-19, but we put her on the therapy and she’s done very well.”
The patient started taking the drug about a week ago. Today she has a lingering cough “but that’s not uncommon,” he said.
Only a couple of the patients have tested positive for COVID-19, he said. Most haven’t been tested at all because
But he emphasizes that
Also, healthy people with no symptoms and no reason to presume they’ve been exposed should not use the drug or try to get it prescribed so they can hoard it for later, he said. They might have other conditions or be taking other medicines that could react in a dangerous way with chloroquine, he said. “It should not be taken without clinical supervision.”
Potential side effects can be serious, including damage to the heart or cardiovascular system, if taken incorrectly or in combination with other medicines.
An example of the danger of self-treatment emerged on Monday, when an
Hernandez said
Along with patients who report potential COVID-19 symptoms, patients identified as “high risk” are offered, if appropriate, a preemptive chloroquine treatment regimen -- usually two pills a day for five days. High risk typically means the patient is elderly with at least two chronic conditions, is not elderly but was recently hospitalized, or has a compromised immune system because of a chronic condition.
Patients can choose to be diagnosed through a face-to-face phone app such as FaceTime or WhatsApp, report to one of Cano Health’s urgent care clinics, or ask for a free home visit.
Hernandez says chloroquine treatments are available to new patients as well as existing patients, following a virtual visit via one of the smart phone apps. In the near future,
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