The Ministry of the Armed Forces acknowledged Friday, April 24, having bought chloroquine in China to build up a stock " as a precaution ", if ever this treatment, whose effectiveness against the coronavirus is debated in the world, was finally validated by the health authorities .
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" In a context of strong tensions in the supply of raw materials for pharmaceutical use, the Ministry of the Armed Forces made a precautionary purchase, if ever chloroquine proved to be validated by the health authorities as being useful in the fight against Covid-19 " , the ministry declared after the publication on the social networks of a video gone viral showing this delivery bound for the armies.
The French infectious disease specialist Didier Raoult has advocated since the beginning of the epidemic the use of hydroxychloroquine (derivative of chloroquine, a drug against malaria, Editor's note) to fight the coronavirus.
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Some doctors, some countries and elected officials call for widely administering this drug. But a large part of the scientific community and health organizations are calling for a rigorous scientific validation, warning of the possible risks for patients, especially those with heart disease.
Pending the results, France has adopted a cautious position: hydroxychloroquine is authorized in hospitals only, and only for severe cases.
The video posted on social media on Thursday shows a delivery of barrels labeled " chloroquine phosphate " from China. A man in a voiceover claims that these barrels contain a total of " 70 kg " and shows an order form for the " central pharmacy of the armies ". The ministry confirms that this delivery indeed comes from China and that it is indeed “ salt or phosphate of chloroquine, which allows the development of an injectable form ”. However, it does not confirm the quantity of product ordered.
What do we know about the action of chloroquine on viruses?