Hi All! There has been a lot of information floating around about treating and preventing COVID-19. Unfortunately, a lot of this information, especially those doing the rounds on social media are fake or partial truths. This is what inspired me to write this blog.
Whilst there are many candidates currently undergoing investigation for a workable vaccine or drug against COVID-19, they are all still in the very early phases of development and being used in an ‘unlicensed fashion’ within clinical trials being conducted worldwide.
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are two popular drugs who have been mentioned consistently across many social media platforms as potential cures for COVID-19. Chloroquine in particular is an antimalarial which is now only used in specific cases of malaria sue to widespread resistance with counterfeits rife in the African setting in particular. It has what we call a ‘narrow therapeutic index’ in pharmacy i.e. small differences in doses or blood concentrations can lead to treatment failure or severe adverse effects such as blurry vision, itching, seizures and heart rhythm disturbances- which can lead to severe heart failure. It is to some extent what we would call a dirty drug.
Both drugs can alter your immune response and, in some cases suppress it. Hydroxychloroquine has been more commonly used for this effect in autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. Herein lies the danger of using it outside of clinical trial settings, at a time when most people should be trying to boost their immunity, some are going into pharmacies to purchase these drugs on the basis of social media reports of them being cures for COVID-19.
Such people may well be exposing themselves to more harm than good as they are putting themselves in a position where they may become subject to the nasty side effects of these drugs as well as increasing their vulnerability to the actual disease they are trying to prevent or treat.
It is important to remember that when patients receive an unlicensed drug as part of a clinical trial, they are assessed, dosed and monitored very closely with the input of a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals including pharmacists, nurses and doctors. Such conditions cannot be replicated outside clinical settings.
Given that we still don’t have a cure for the common flu, I doubt we will get a cure for COVID-19 overnight. However, given that since January at least 30 clinical trials have been conducted worldwide in the search for a resolution, I also have no doubt we’ll get a breakthrough sooner rather than later. I suspect the first major breakthrough will be in the form of a workable vaccine, but we’re probably about a year away from that. So, what is the actual cure for COVID-19? If you’re interested in finding out the answer to this question stay tuned for my next blog on the actual Antidote for COVID-19.
For more information on living healthy, vaccines & antidotes to infections, read my book- ‘Truth About Health Exposed’. Signed copies are available for just £10 (including postage) from info@wesieonline.com.
PS: Share this information widely amongst your network as having and acting on the right information is vital in conquering the corona virus and preventing COVID-19.