The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Thursday, March 19, a drug that is hope in the fight against new coronavirus. A hydroxychloroquine, medicine administered in the treatment of malaria and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as other diseases, is the bet of the American government against Covid-19.
The substance found under the trade names Plaquinol and Reuquinol, together with its variant, are capable of hindering the fusion of the virus with the host cell, avoiding contamination. In addition, it has other antiviral features, as shown by an in vitro study carried out by researchers in Wuhan, China, where the disease originated.
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The drug, a variant of chloroquine, showed effective results in some studies, pointing out that it can help in the race to cure the disease. This, especially if it is used in combination with an antibiotic, acting on the Covid-19 treatment and prevention.
A similar response with the use of the drug, considered low cost and with no risk, had already occurred during the period of Epidemicof SARS, in the early 2000s, being caused by another type of coronavirus that spread across southeastern Asia.
French research reports efficacy
A clinical study carried out in France with 36 people also pointed out the effectiveness of the drug. At the time, the patients were medicated daily, for 10 days, with 600 mg of hydroxychloroquine. More than half of the people, 20 of them, responded positively to the treatment, with a considerable reduction in viral load compared to those who did not undergo the procedure. Also, if administered the antibiotic azithromycin, the drug proved even more successful.
The drug, presented by Elon Musk as an instrument for curing the coronavirus, has effects side effects, such as headaches and abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, vision disturbances and anorexia. Its use is contraindicated for children under 6 years of age and people with hypersensitivity to its components.
Anvisa publishes a note with clarifications
The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) published on the night of this Thursday, March 19, a technical note on the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in the treatment of Covid-19.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the news released, there was an increase in demand for medicines that, according to Anvisa, are registered for the treatment of arthritis, lupus erythematosus, photosensitive diseases and malaria.
“Although promising, there are no conclusive studies that prove the use of these drugs for the treatment of Covid-19. Therefore, there is currently no recommendation from Anvisa for its use in infected patients or even as a means of preventing contamination by the new coronavirus; And self-medication can represent a serious risk to your health”, highlighted Anvisa.
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