COVID-19: Decoding The Hydroxychloroquine Mystique
After Trump's tirade against India over the Hydroxychloroquine' drug controversially touted to be effective against COVID-19, the government partially lifted its export ban. But what exactly is this mysterious drug now in the global spotlight?
There is pandemonium across the world due to the coronavirus and now, it also appears to be bringing a powerful nation like the United States to its knees.
US President Donald Trump has been pressuring India to supply the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine which has shown some promise in fighting the Coronavirus. Though not wanting to be seen as relenting, the Centre partially removed the restrictions on the export of Hydrochloroquine, along with some other medicines, including paracetamol. But questions are being raised about the usage of hydroxychloroquine. Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial medicine. Apart from this, the medicine is also used in a disease called Lupus, which attacks the body’s disease-resistance capacity or immune system. Hydroxychloroquine is also used by people who suffer from arthritis and experience pain in the joints. However, in the past few decades, hydroxychloroquine has also been seen as a possible anti-viral medicine. President Trump has claimed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given permission for the use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of coronavirus. However, the FDA has denied this. Later, Trump said that this drug could be used on ‘compassionate grounds’. This means that doctors can prescribe those medicines for treatment of life-threatening ailments which have not been approved by the FDA yet. The Health Ministry of India has also issued an advisory regarding this, in which it mentions that the medicine can be given to health care workers and other people who have come into contact with coronavirus patients. But it was to be used only as a preventive measure. However, several experts are not very convinced. Hydrochloroquine has worked against the coronavirus in studies conducted in laboratories but clinical experiments have still not been completed. Currently, not much information is available about the effect it has on patients. However, research is underway in China, US, UK and Spain.
There is pandemonium across the world due to the coronavirus and now, it also appears to be bringing a powerful nation like the United States to its knees.
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US President Donald Trump has been pressuring India to supply the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine which has shown some promise in fighting the Coronavirus. Though not wanting to be seen as relenting, the Centre partially removed the restrictions on the export of Hydrochloroquine, along with some other medicines, including paracetamol. But questions are being raised about the usage of hydroxychloroquine. Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial medicine. Apart from this, the medicine is also used in a disease called Lupus, which attacks the body’s disease-resistance capacity or immune system. Hydroxychloroquine is also used by people who suffer from arthritis and experience pain in the joints. However, in the past few decades, hydroxychloroquine has also been seen as a possible anti-viral medicine. President Trump has claimed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given permission for the use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of coronavirus. However, the FDA has denied this. Later, Trump said that this drug could be used on ‘compassionate grounds’. This means that doctors can prescribe those medicines for treatment of life-threatening ailments which have not been approved by the FDA yet. The Health Ministry of India has also issued an advisory regarding this, in which it mentions that the medicine can be given to health care workers and other people who have come into contact with coronavirus patients. But it was to be used only as a preventive measure. However, several experts are not very convinced. Hydrochloroquine has worked against the coronavirus in studies conducted in laboratories but clinical experiments have still not been completed. Currently, not much information is available about the effect it has on patients. However, research is underway in China, US, UK and Spain.
After @realDonaldTrump's tirade against India over the #Hydroxychloroquine drug controversially touted to be effective against #COVID2019, the government partially lifted its #exportban. But what exactly is this mysterious drug now in the global spotlight?@RaGa_reports pic.twitter.com/FT1Ajsx5Mo
— GoNewsIndia (@GoNews_India) April 7, 2020
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