Despite objection by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the use of chloroquine as a possible treatment of the novel coronavirus disease, the US President, Donald Trump again on Saturday posted on Twitter and Facebook to his followers that hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin “taken together” could be “one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine.” He urged they “be put in use IMMEDIATELY.”
READ ALSO: How Coronavirus Exposes Nigeria’s Reliance On Chinese Economy
Bloomberg reported that President Trump also retweeted an online post about a small study of 26 patients that showed success in eradicating the new coronavirus when the two drugs were taken together.
Reports say some hospitals have already begun stockpiling hydroxychloroquine, and medical institutions are gearing up to conduct further studies. In the meantime, experts say using the drug and its cousin chloroquine to treat Covid-19 isn’t backed by enough scientific evidence.
The FDA hasn’t approved the antimalarials to treat Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.
In Africa, while chloroquine is no longer used to treat malaria, some pharmacies still stock it for patients who are resistant to other anti-malaria drugs.