In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, demand amongst the various conutries have been increased including the US President Donald Trump have supported the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine but a new study shows its side effects against the disease.
Earlier, the drug has been identified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an effective treatment for the coronavirus and was cited as a game-changer by the President Trump.
However, the current study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, stated that “chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are being used to treat and prevent COVID-19 despite weak evidence for effectiveness, and physicians and patients should be aware of the drugs’ potentially serious adverse events.”
According to the study, potential adverse effects include cardiac arrhythmias– Improper beating of the heart, whether irregular, too fast or too slow, Hypoglycemia— a condition in which your blood sugar (glucose) level is lower than normal and overdose (chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are highly toxic in overdose and can cause seizures, coma and cardiac arrest) Neuropsychiatric effects, such as agitation, confusion, hallucinations and paranoia.
Patients with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other chronic diseases, who take hydroxychloroquine to treat these conditions may face problems while use of this drug.
The study summarizes the poor quality of evidence suggesting that these treatments might be beneficial in patients with COVID-19 and cautions that it is possible that these treatments could worsen the disease.
Dr Juurlink said that, “Despite optimism (in some, even enthusiasm) for the potential of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19, little consideration has been given to the possibility that the drugs might negatively influence the course of disease. This is why we need a better evidence base before routinely using these drugs to treat patients with COVID-19″
