Written by Dr. Daniel Dube, FACP
This Post is for Malawian patients and not healthcare workers in Malawi or the US.
What is Chloroquine?
This is a medication that is known for the treatment of Malaria and certain diseases that affect muscles and joints.
How was the discovery that Chloroquine can be used in COVID-19 made?
This was observed in the laboratory using cells. The French were the first to suggest this.
How is research for the use of drugs in humans done?
- first, studies start with cells
- second, studies are done on small animals like mice
- third, studies are done on monkeys
- then humans
these above stages were not done in chloroquine, How did doctors start use Chloroquine against COVID?
This was done under two rules
- Emergency use: this when a disease has no known medicines and it is thought that trying a drug with reasonable predicted mechanism may be the only thing to do.
- Investigative use: This is when doctors are trying to understand whether the medication works.
What is the Evidence at this moment regarding the use of chloroquine in COVID?
All well designed studies have shown the following:
- Chloroquine has no benefit as prevention for COVID.
- Chloroquine has no benefit as treatment for COVID.
- The use of chloroquine increases deaths from heart complications.
But Chloroquine was used for Malaria why is it not working in COVID-19?
- The drug works differently for the two diseases.
- In Malaria chloroquine prevents the growth of the parasite.
- In COVID-19 chloroquine interferes with the joining together of the virus and cells.
We used chloroquine and we were fine before.and that is true because COVID and Malaria have different effects on the body.
In COVID the body oxygen is exceptionally low, and this affects all organs
Chloroquine slows down the recovery of signals after the heart after the heart has pumped blood. This causes signals in the heart to get disorganized.
Some people came to harm
The Story of the Ranting African
It is an election season in the US.
In the next few months, you will see a lot of claims about vaccines, new drugs etc. There will be an overly aggressive campaign against top US public health officials, top US based public health organizations, top International public health organizations, China and there will be an aggressive campaign using videos like the one about the ranting African. These videos will be talking a lot to deny the information that is already in the public domain such as death rates, hospitalization rates etc. There will be well woven stories about conspiracies.
Please resist propagating these stories. Listen to your Malawian authorities and work with your healthcare providers. Please use trusted health information sources lie Web MD, Mayo Clinic websites etc. Read information that says patient information.
EDUCATE YOURSELVES. Do not take any information about COVID-19 without checking the source and motivation of the author. Ago
