CDC warns against unprescribed use of chloroquine to treat COVID-19 as Arizona man dies after consuming drug
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released an official guidance, warning against the unprescribed use of chloroquine phosphate in any form to treat coronavirus. The announcement came after the agency came to know that a couple consumed fish-food that contained the substance. The man died while his wife fell sick.
In its statement, the CDC said, "Chloroquine phosphate, when used without a prescription and supervision of a healthcare provider, can cause serious health consequences, including death... Clinicians and public health officials should discourage the public from misusing non-pharmaceutical chloroquine phosphate (a chemical used in home aquariums)."
Pharmaceutical chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate are substances approved by the FDA to treat only particular medical conditions like malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. "Currently, these medications are being studied and evaluated as a treatment for COVID-19; however, their efficacy to either prevent or treat this infection are unknown," the agency stated.
Previously, MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) reported that an elderly couple hailing from Arizona, both in their 60s, ingested fish food after learning it comprised chloroquine phosphate and became fatally ill. The wife mentioned President Trump's briefing where he talked about the advantages of chloroquine. The couple mixed a small amount of the substance in their drinks and food, and become very ill some 20 minutes later.
"We were afraid of getting sick," the woman told NBC News. "I started vomiting. My husband started developing respiratory problems and wanted to hold my hand."
She immediately called 911 to dispatch medical help, but her husband died shortly after they arrived at the hospital.
Research into the potential benefits of chloroquine in treating COVID-19 is only starting to go underway. The French government announced on March 27, that it would officially permit the use of chloroquine in treating certain COVID-19 patients. Renowned biologist Didier Raoult's Marseilles clinic saw initial promising results with the use of the drug for treatment, which prompted the government's decision.
President Trump had promoted the drug in a tweet on March 21. "We have a pandemic. We have people dying now. If we're going to go into labs and test all of this for a long time, we can test it on people right now who are in serious trouble, who are dying," he said later, at a press conference. "If it works, we've done a great thing. If it doesn't work, you know, we tried."
As of March 29, the US has reported a total of 124,464 confirmed coronavirus cases and its 2,191 fatalities.