New Delhi: A leading official of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against using hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19 outside clinical trials, adding that many authorities had reported potential side effects from using the anti-malarial drug. The warning from the UN health body came as US President Donal Trump revealed that he has been taking the medication for about a week and a half to ward off the novel coronavirus, which has now killed at least 323,370 people in the world.
Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, told a press conference on Wednesday that both hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have as yet not been found to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19 or in the prophylaxis against coming down with the disease, despite the fact that these drugs are already licensed for many diseases.
“And in fact the opposite, warnings have been issued by many authorities regarding the potential side effects of the drug and many countries have limited its use to that of clinical trials or during clinical trials or under the supervision of clinicians in a hospital setting that''s specifically for COVID-19, because of a number of potential side effects that have occurred and could occur,” Ryan was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
He said for COVID-19, the WHO would advise that these drugs be reserved for use within clinical trials.
“Having said that, again it is for each national authority to weigh and assess the evidence for and against the use of this drug,” he added.
Ryan also said both hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine feature in the ongoing WHO’s ‘solidarity trials’ for COVID-19 treatments that are being undertaken in many countries. The trial will compare four treatment options against standard of care and assess their relative effectiveness against coronavirus infection.
“As of today, we have more than 3,000 patients enrolled from 320 hospitals in 17 countries, and so that's a show of solidarity and called the solidarity trial, but it's really a show of collaboration and willingness to work towards a common goal of understanding which therapeutics are safe and effective against Covid-19,” said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.
Potential side effects of Hydroxychloroquine
Multiple government agencies have warned against the improper use of the drug outside a clinical trial setting owing to its potential side effects. Hydroxychloroquine is being used for the prevention and treatment of malaria. The drug is also used in the treatment of certain immunological disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
Experts have warned that the drug can cause some unwanted effects, including the serious and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm problems. Common side effects of hydroxychloroquine are gastro-intestinal upsets such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Prolonged use of the drug can also lead to blurring of vision and partial blindness due to its effects on the retina and other components of the eye.
Hydroxychloroquine can interact with other drugs such as azithromycin, and in susceptible individuals, it can result in dangerous irregularities of the heart. Therefore, patients should use the drug only under the supervision of a medical doctor.
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