The leaders of the Bohol Medical Society (BMS) and the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) in Bohol jointly release a statement on the use of hydroxychlorooquine (HCQ) for coronavirus disease (Covid).
The statement was sent to The Bohol Tribune on Saturday. August 29, 2020 and this statement was signed by Dr. Jefferwon Ong of BMS and Dr. Kazan Baluyot of PCP.
The statement reads, “The medical community in Bohol has been getting questions from the public regarding the use of Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine to cure or prevent CoViD-19 infection. There are also proponents of the use of these drugs against CoViD-19, even among the physicians in the province. We hereby make this joint statement to clarify the mixed opinions regarding this drug and its application to the current pandemic.”
The statement continues, “Hydroxychloroquine is a derivative of the drug chloroquine, which is a well-known medicine against malaria, a mosquito-borne illness common in the tropical regions of the world. It has been in use for many decades, and it has also been known to help treat Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).“
Furthermore, the same statement added, “It is however also known to sometimes cause various adverse effects including disorders of the bone marrow, heart rhythm abnormalities, heart muscle damage, vertigo, irreversible eye disorders, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, severe allergic reactions, muscle disorders, nerve function abnormalities, tremor, seizure, and psychiatric disorders.”
“Recent studies on the use of these drugs against CoViD-19 have not shown consistently positive results and its effectiveness against the disease has not been properly demonstrated in clinical trials. The US (Food and Drug Administration) FDA revoked the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in June 15, 2020 due to the cardiac risks related to its use and the lack of clinical evidence of its efficacy against CoViD-19,” the statement revealed.
“EUA allows the use of a drug or procedure outside of its recognized and established indications in cases of health emergencies.
While it is tempting to think that an inexpensive and readily available drug such as hydroxychloroquine can be used to fight CoViD-19 either as a cure or a prevention, such is not supported by enough studies to warrant the approval or promotion by the majority of the medical practitioners,” the doctors wrote in their statement.
“We therefore discourage the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine as a treatment to cure or prevent CoViD-19 currently. This statement can be withdrawn should clinical trials give evidence to the contrary, that is acceptable risk in the face of evident and clear clinical benefits,” the doctors said.
