A US man died and his wife fell seriously ill after they ingested chloroquine, a medicine used to treat malaria and was suggested by President Donald Trump to be a possible cure for COVID-19 infection. Minutes after taking the medicine, their health deteriorated and they were admitted to the hospital where the man died while his wife was stated to be in critical condition.
The incident took place in Phoenix-area of Arizona and the toxic ingredient they ingested was not the medicine form of chloroquine but an ingredient used to kill parasites in fish tanks. The local media quoted the man's wife saying that she had watched Trump's presser in which he suggested that chloroquine can be used to treat coronavirus infection.
The US President had termed chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, a medication used to treat malaria, potential game-changers in the history of medicine. Trump had suggested that the medication can be used in the fight against COVID-19. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 infection in high-risk cases.
The deadly coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 14,000 people and infected over 3.5 lakh across the world but people are still in want of its cure. As of now, there is no established treatment for COVID-19 infection. Several countries are treating coronavirus patients with a combination of anti-HIV drugs but that experiment has also not yielded desired results.
Medical experts divided on use of chloroquine for COVID-19 treatment
The US President had also met with criticism for suggesting a medication that has not been approved by medical experts, who believe the drug needs to be studied more before being promoted as an effective treatment for coronavirus infection. Trump has made it clear that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine should be deployed quickly against the coronavirus even as the US Food and Drug Administration is hesitant.
The experts say that they need more data to decide whether the medicine can be used for coronavirus treatment as it has several side-effects, which include heart and nerve damage and suicidal thoughts. However, those in support of its use argue that the drug is prescribed for not just malaria but also rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. And given the current situation, its side effects are manageable.
