Miracle cure or ineffective – what’s really up with hydroxychloroquine to
US President, Donald Trump has decided to protect against the novel Coronavirus, for the preventive taking hydroxychloroquine, Brazil recommends the use of the malaria drug for the treatment even easier Covid-19-cases. But a new study warns of serious side effects, prompting the world health organization (WHO) suspended the clinical Tests for the time being. An Overview of the current state of knowledge.
Immunization
The hunt for the vaccine, so scientists want to Covid-19 defeat
What the hydroxychloroquine is?
Chloroquine is an inexpensive drug that has been used for decades against Malaria. Depending on the country and manufacturer it is sold under different names, for example, retinal toxicity or Nivaquine.
Hydroxychloroquine is a relative of the better-tolerated drug, with trade names such as Quensyl, or Plaquenil. Hydroxychloroquine is administered except in the case of Malaria, also in rheumatic diseases such as Lupus. For the treatment of Covid-19, especially hydroxychloroquine was tested.
The drug is effective against Covid 19?
In the laboratory and in animal experiments hydroxychloroquine has, in some cases, as effective against viruses shown. The hypothesis is based that it could also kill the new Coronavirus. In laboratory experiments, the managed clinical studies in patients, however, to sometimes contradictory results.
None of the previous studies, corresponds to the usual standards of Research, according to which the subjects will be randomly selected and there is a control group, the placebo will be administered. Also, it is not so-called double-blind trials, where neither Doctors nor patients know who belongs to which group. The Standard also means that independent scientists review a study and review before it is published in a professional journal.
What studies are there?
The French virologist Didier Raoult has published several studies showing, according to his representation, the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in combination with an antibiotic. He promoted the wide application against Covid-19 at the first symptoms.
In his third study involving more than 1000 patients Raoult noted according to its own information, that after ten days, more than 90 per cent had the Virus and successfully fought. However, this result is comparable with the natural course of the disease, the mortality rate was the same.
A study in New York hospitals, which was published at the beginning of the month in the US magazine “The New England Journal of Medicine” showed that hydroxychloroquine improve the condition of patients who are severely Ill, neither verb nor significantly deteriorate.
A Chinese and a French study tested Recently, hydroxychloroquine at Covid-19-patients who were admitted with pneumonia to the hospital. The risk of having resuscitated or to die, decreased by the administration of the Agent is not essential.
Large-scale study of "Wundermittel"
Low blow for Trump: High mortality rate in Covid-19-patients hydroxychloroquine
A team of researchers from the Harvard Medical School in Boston and the University hospital of Zurich published last Friday in the journal “The Lancet” in a study in which it evaluated the data of 96,000 patients in hundreds of hospitals around the world. The doctors came to the conclusion that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine is no Benefit at Covid-19. Rather, the data pointed to an increased risk of death. The drugs can cause according to the study, serious side effects such as heart rhythm disturbances.
Also, in the context of “Discovery”, a large-scale European research potential agents against Sars-CoV-2, hydroxychloroquine is currently researching. Because of the lack of patients with hydroxychloroquine treatment, it will take some time before results are available.
What are the side effects?
Especially chloroquine, but also hydroxychloroquine, can cause some serious side effects. These include Nausea count vomiting, skin rashes, but also neurological, cardiac and vision problems may occur. Therefore, the European medicines Agency considers the use of counter-Covid-19 only for “clinical Trials and emergency programs” under strict conditions, is acceptable.
Why the WHO is now the clinical Tests?
The Tests in several countries had been recruited “temporarily” while the safety of the drug to be reviewed, said the WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday. The decision was due to the “Lancet”study that treatment with hydroxychloroquine may increase the mortality rate.
What is with Trump and Bolsonaro?
The governments of several countries have touted in recent weeks and months hydroxy chloroquine as a remedy for the corona virus. US President, Donald Trump has made advertising for the drug, and stated that he will take it for the prevention against the Coronavirus. On Sunday, Trump said in an Interview that he had stopped taking hydroxychloroquine now. Despite his ingestion of the Agent he was “still there”, added the President ironically.
Also, the Brazilian head of state, Jair Bolsonaro boasted of hydroxychloroquine. The Ministry of health in Brasília, recommended that the funds for the treatment of Covid-19-patients. According to the current warnings of the WHO, the Ministry stated that its recommendation applies more. “We remain calm, and there is no Change,” said the Ministry representative, Mayra Pinheiro.
Also in Colombia, the government of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine was recommended as remedy against the novel Virus. Due to the WHO declarations of the Ministry of health dash in Bogotá, but now this recommendation.
Also, France’s High Council for public health spoke out against the treatment of Covid-19-from Ill with the Malaria Medicine. A working group had come to the conclusion that there is not a sufficiently robust clinical study showing the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in Covid-19 regardless of the Severity of the infection, informed the Council.