05/23/2020 - 14:08
- Clarín.com
- Society
Chloroquine remains in the eye of controversy when it comes to coronavirus treatments. After the publication of a study that questions its effectiveness, France is considering whether to continue using it.
The French Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, made it known this Saturday after learning of a study published by a specialized magazine in which they warn about its "ineffectiveness" and at the same time warn of a greater probability of death in patients.
"After the publication in 'The Lancet' of a study warning of the ineffectiveness and risks of some COVID-19 treatments, including hydroxychloroquine, I have requested a study to the drug inspection for analysis," said the minister on the social network Twitter.
For this reason, as reported by the EFE agency, Véran awaits responses in the next 48 hours and that after receiving them, they will review the prescription rules of the drug and, failing that, its repeal.
Chloroquine and its synthetic analogue, hydroxychloroquine, rose to worldwide popularity months ago as it appeared as a possible treatment for covid-19 patients. In several countries it was started to be used, especially in seriously ill patients and on an experimental basis.
A worker reviewing chloroquine phosphate production in China in April.Associated Press
Until now, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been used for the treatment of malaria and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
The French epidemiologist Didier Raoult was one of the main champions of the use of this drug in the fight against the new coronavirus, which sparked strong debates in the scientific field.
At the political level, hydroxychloroquine also has its defenders, such as Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro , who supported its use in recent days. However, the study published by The Lancet took data from almost 15,000 patients with COVID-19 who received this drug and from 81,000 controlled people in more than 600 hospitals on six continents.
In this publication, the authors stated that they have no effect on patients and could even increase the risk of death. "These drugs can cause increased mortality rates and increased cardiac arrhythmias among hospitalized COVID-19 patients," the report details.
For this reason, as reported by the EFE agency, the French Minister of Health specified that he awaits responses in the next 48 hours and that, after them, they will review the prescription rules of the drug and, failing that, its repeal .
Didier Raoult, the French infectologist who became one of the biggest advocates of hydroxychloroquine / AFP treatment
Among the observed patients, the study showed that the mortality rate among those who did not receive this treatment was 9%, while in the group of those who only received hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, the figure rose to 18% and 16.4% respectively. In those in which this drug was combined with other antibiotics, more than 22% died.
One of the study's authors is Mandeep Mehra, executive director of the Brigham and Women's Hospital Center for Advanced Heart Disease, in Boston. The specialist stated: "Treatment with chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine does not benefit patients with COVID-19. On the contrary, our finding suggests that it may be associated with an increased risk of serious heart problems and an increased risk of death."
The questions about this treatment had already been heard and for this reason France limited its application to seriously ill patients. However, Trump was totally in favor of use and redoubled the bet: on Tuesday he announced that he himself takes hydroxychloroquine preventively.
