By Ehichioya Ezomon
Since China first identified the novel coronavirus on its shores in December 2019, the world has been living on hope for a drug or vaccine for the treatment and prevention of the pandemic.
But that hope has been unrealised due to several factors, chiefly the relatively unknown nature of the virus caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the fact that drugs and vaccines cannot be produced overnight.
Producing drugs and vaccines takes time because they have to undergo clinical trials, which, in the case of a vaccine, could take two years at the earliest or never really achieved, for instance, vaccines for HIV and dengue till date.
Insistence by scientists on “proper” clinical trials during outbreaks frustrate many around the world, especially leaders and relatives of sick people, who want administered any “touted” drugs. That’s the case with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The “efficacy” of Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin is being plied as “very promising” for the treatment of coronavirus, though the drugs are produced to combat other diseases.
A switch to these drugs is what Maurice Iwu, a Nigerian Professor of Pharmacognosy, describes as “repurposing” – “using a drug known for something else for some other things.”
Despite studies done in China, France, Germany and the United States on the drugs, as suitable to treat COVID-19, scientists warn of the danger they pose to patients: those with pre-existing ailments, such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
For instance, in March 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the United States, gave its nod for the use of the drugs to treat coronavirus patients in the hospital.
A report by Politico.com noted that “hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have been linked with serious heart rhythm problems, especially when paired with the antibiotic, azithromycin.”
On Friday, April 24, the FDA had to iterate its warning, stressing that “to decrease the risk of life-threatening heart problems, patients should only use the medication in hospital settings.”
Yet, absent a definitive drug(s) – even as vaccine experimental trials are ongoing – chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin have come in handy in COVID-19 hard-hit countries.
As posted on WhatsApp by a Nigerian biochemist, Emeka Orjih, on March 24, there’s increased use of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, particularly in the U.S., and he endorsed the adoption of the same drugs in Nigeria.
Mr Orjih, resident in Abuja, tracked the shipment of the drugs to the U.S. thus: “Four days ago, the largest pharmaceutical company in Germany, Bayer, donated 3 million doses of chloroquine to the U.S. government to aid the fight against COVID-19.
“Not to be outdone, Novartis, the 3rd largest pharmaceutical company on earth, donated 130 million doses of hydroxychloroquine. Israel followed suit, with its largest pharmaceutical company, Teva, donating 16 million doses of hydroxychloroquine.
“The giant pharma, Mylan, quickly reopened its closed West Virginia (U.S.) factory to produce only hydroxychloroquine, with a promise to deliver the first 50 million doses in a few weeks. All of this happening in a space of 72 hours.”
On their efficacy, Orjih wrote that: “Both drugs have been used on thousands of COVID-19 patients in China, France and Germany with very successful outcomes. China, the epicentre of COVID-19, recorded 3,200 deaths so far.
“What has not been publicised is that China recorded over 73,100 recoveries – people that were positive for COVID-19 but fully recovered. The major treatment that led to those 73,100 recoveries was chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.”
He said with the right dose – (“maximum dosage for chloroquine: 500mg 2 times a day for 10 days, while for azithromycin it is 500mg on the first day and 250mg for the next 4 days”) – hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved.
Against medical advice, Orjih recommended self-medication to Nigerians because “we are in dire times that need quick action and quick results, else life could become death.” But he’s a caveat: “You DO NOT, for any reason, exceed the maximum dosage, as this could also easily lead to death,” as “chloroquine is poisonous.”
Enter Dr Zev Zelenko of Monroe in New York, U.S., who claimed to use hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and Zinc sulfate, to treat 500 COVID-19 patients without “deaths, hospitalisations and intubations” (the insertion of a tube into the body).
Based on his “success,” Dr Zelekno said he wrote an open letter to President Donald Trump and medical professionals around the world, “alerting them to a possible solution to the coronavirus.” Below is a summary of his combo therapy:
“My out-patient treatment regimen is as follows: * Hydroxychloroquine 200mg twice a day for 5 days; Azithromycin 500mg once a day for 5 days; and Zinc sulfate 220mg once a day for 5 days.
* My team has treated approximately 350 patients in Kiryas Joel and another 150 patients in other areas of New York with the above regimen.
* Of this group and the information provided to me by affiliated medical teams, we have had ZERO deaths, ZERO hospitalizations, and ZERO intubations.
* In addition, I have not heard of any negative side effects other than approximately 10% of patients with temporary nausea and diarrhoea.”
Interestingly, Dr Zelenko said he developed the following “treatment protocol” in a pre-hospital setting: * Any patient with shortness of breath, regardless of age, is treated. * Any patient in the high-risk category, even with just mild symptoms, is treated. * Young, healthy and low-risk patients, even with symptoms, are not treated (unless their circumstances change and they fall into category 1 or 2).”
Coming to Nigeria, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, who tested positive in late March 2020, said he treated his viral infection with chloroquine.
In an interview, Otegbayo said: “I took chloroquine based on recommendation by my physician. I have studies that have shown the efficacy of chloroquine.”
Still, he will not recommend his remedial treatment to others, as he believes his cure was by the “grace of God, his strong immunity, no underlying disease, and a low viral load.”
He said: “I will not say that what I took (Chloroquine, Vitamin C-1000 and fruits) will work for another person,” adding, “until research is done and these are proven, we cannot recommend.”
Nonetheless, shouldn’t relevant medical authorities in Nigeria test and commence treatment of COVID-19 patients with this cocktail, to arrest the pandemic before it overwhelms the country that’s topped 1,000 in infection and scores in death? It’s time to act!
Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.