The World Health Organization said Monday that it will temporarily drop hydroxychloroquine — the anti-malarial drug U.S. President Trump says he is taking — from its global study into experimental COVID-19 treatments, saying that its experts need to review all available evidence to date.
In a press briefing, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that in light of a paper published last week in the Lancet that showed people taking hydroxychloroquine were at higher risk of death and heart problems, there would be “a temporary pause” on the hydroxychloroquine arm of its global clinical trial.
“This concern relates to the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19,” Tedros said, adding that the drugs are approved treatments for people with malaria or autoimmune diseases. Other treatments in the trial, including the experimental drug remdesivir and an HIV combination therapy, are still being tested.
Tedros said the executive group behind WHO’s global “Solidarity” trial met on Saturday and decided to conduct a comprehensive review of all available data on hydroxychloroquine and that its use in the trial would be suspended for now.
Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s emergencies chief, said there was no indication of any safety problems with hydroxychloroquine in the WHO trial to date, but that statisticians would now analyze the information.
“We’re just acting on an abundance of caution based on the recent results of all the studies to to ensure that we can continue safely with that arm of the trial,” he said. WHO said it expected to have more details within the next two weeks.
Last week, Trump announced he was taking hydroxychloroquine although he has not tested positive for COVID-19. His own administration has warned the drug can have deadly side effects, and both the European Medicines Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned health professionals last month that the drug should not be used to treat COVID-19 outside of hospital or research settings due to numerous serious side effects that in some cases can be fatal.
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are approved for treating lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and for preventing and treating malaria, but no large rigorous tests have found them safe or effective for preventing or treating COVID-19.
(AP)
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3 Responses
If the WHO says something, you can be sure the opposite is the real truth. I think that is something we can all agree on.
I wonder if the pharma companies are influencing this issue re the WHO as well. After all, hydroxychloroquine is 23 cents a pill, while Remdesvir is about $1000 a treatment. According to Dr. Zelenko, there are no known cases where hydroxychloroquine caused any problems related to heart issues except in cases where heart issues were already present.
In WHO we trust …
nobody asked, but here’s my opinion.
– In countries where malaria is a problem Hydroxychloroquine it is sold over the counter. HCQ has been used for 60 years and is considered safe when used as recommended. See the warnings on Tylenol and Ibuprofen. (Don’t take more than this amount, don’t mix with alcohol, stop taking if you experience any of the following side effects …) All meds have risks especially if used improperly.
– With regard to treating corona, evaluating HCQ as a remedy is only useful when taken along with zinc. If a study did not use zinc the study should be disregarded.
– The (Zelenko) recommended dose is 200 mg HCQ 2x day + 220 mg zinc 1 x day (and AZM 500 mg 1 x day) studies that used more HCQ (such as 400 mg 2 x a day) is like saying I know the bottle said take one Aleve, but I took four and after a few days it gave me stomach problems.
– The Zelenko Protocol is intended to take early (or even as a preventative med). Waiting until a patient goes code blue vet helfn vi a toytn bankes.
– Any study that did not replicate the Zelenko Protocol and claims it didn’t work or caused damage should be viewed as having an agenda not aligned with saving people and at low cost. We already know that HCQ without zinc isn’t as effective as HCQ with zinc. We already know that HCQ can’t pull off techias hameisim. Doctors and hospitals must not prioritize drug company fantasies of corona billions over human life.
– If doctors came out against the Zelenko Protocol and find themselves in a hole because his results are confirmed they should stop digging. People shouldn’t have to suffer, die or lose their business because some doctors want to save face. Dr. Zelenko saved his patients because the protocol works (he says).
– The U.S. supply chain should please make readily available toilet paper, flour and fresh garlic as well as HYDOXYCHOLOROQUINE, Zinc, and AZM. (Don’t claim HCQ doesn’t work if it’s just a supply issue.)
– Until things really get better, stay home when possible, socially distance when out, wear a mask to protect others and support local businesses.
– And don’t consume too much news. As things stand today you get better information from the parshas hashavua.
They are doing this to spite our Leader.