Gold Dragon
Well-Known Member
Yes, hydroxychoroquine, sold under its brand name Plaquenil. This however is for those who are really bad, as there are side effects.
Plaquenil Uses, Dosage & Side Effects - Drugs.com
There are some side effects to keep in mind. But most are related to long term use and are rare (blindness being the main one that we worry about). The side effect that will be most relevant with the proposed current use in short courses for Covid19 will be a tendency for a serious arrhythmia, especially when taken with azithromycin which compounds that tendency. But overall Plaquenil or hydroxychloroquine is on the less toxic side of things compared to many other drugs, particularly chloroquine which is the drug that we are trying to replace.
This will allow us to use it on less severe cases and maybe as prevention. But that is all still being studied and the evidence of effect is still very flimsy. It is hard for people and doctors to wait for solid evidence when times are desperate.
Those on the front lines are aware of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine and have been using them on severe cases with mixed results. I fear hope about it being a miracle cure for severe cases is going to be disappointing.
The question still remains open about widespread use in milder-moderate cases which could be a dramatic difference maker in keeping things from getting to more severe stages and also reducing infectivity so that the problem becomes a more manageable one and we don’t get hospitals being overwhelmed. That is where it may be most effective and a “game changer”. I think we will get some answers pretty soon one way or the other about it’s use in that regard.