Posted on 03/29/2020 10:58:40 AM PDT by Widget Jr
An old malaria medicine, hydroxychloroquine, has gone viral on the internet. But is it really an antiviral drug?
The medicine has been seen as a potential treatment for Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, almost since outbreaks started. This week it made headlines, due in part to tweets from President Trump and in part because of a small French study of 42 patients that seemed to show that hydroxychloroquine, particularly when combined with the antibiotic azithromycin, helped decrease patients’ levels of coronavirus. Unfortunately, the rumors about the drug’s efficacy have also encouraged some to buy and even consume a similarly named fish tank cleaner; one person has died.
But a second study emerged last week from Shanghai University in China of 30 patients hospitalized for Covid-19. Whether patients received hydroxychloroquine or not, their body temperature returned to normal a day after hospitalization, and the time it took for levels of the virus to become undetectable was comparable. Unlike the study from France, the patients in this study were randomly assigned to either hydroxychloroquine or the control group, which makes the results more reliable.
Jun Chen, one of the authors of the Shanghai study, called the French study’s results “interesting” but said they needed to be evaluated in another randomized study.
“Both our study and theirs had many limitations,” Chen wrote. “But personally, I would say that hydroxychloroquine was not a ‘magic’ drug, if there is any antiviral effect. And in fact, hydroxychloroquine has never been effective in any viral diseases, despite its in vitro antiviral activity.” “In vitro antiviral activity” means that the drug stops the virus from infecting cells in the dish.
The first mention of the Shanghai study came from a paper in The Lancet Global Health, where the results were described as positive. One of the authors of the Lancet paper, Oriol Mitjà, wrote via email that changes on CT scans showed “that the drug has some efficacy” against Covid-19. In the Shanghai study, worsening of the disease that could be picked up on a CT scan happened in 33% of those on hydroxychloroquine (that’s 5 patients) versus 47% of those in the control group (7 patients).
Mitjà was even more optimistic about the French study, saying it has “new and stronger data.”
But objections have been raised to the French study paper, even as it’s bounced around the Internet. Fox host Sean Hannity even shared another doctor’s letter on his experience using the hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin combination on his television show on March 23.
Three statisticians published a review of the French study that argued that the way it was designed made the treatments look better than they actually are. They pointed to the lack of randomization, as well as an inappropriate control group composed partly of people who refused to take the drug. They also noted that the study dropped some patients from the analysis — the small study of 42 patients actually only included data from 36. The Shanghai study, which showed less impact from the treatments, adds to the questions about the French study, wrote Tim Morris, a statistician at the MRC clinical trials unit at University College, London.
“The [French] study gave very little useful information about whether hydroxychloroquine might help,” Morris wrote. “The Shanghai study is better (because they had a meaningful control group) but gives us very little information that hydroxychloroquine doesn’t help.” The data, he wrote, are “compatible with a wide range of possible effects,” which is statistician-speak for, “Nobody knows whether the drug helps or not.”
The Shanghai study, Morris wrote, is a step in the right direction toward some bigger, better trials that are kicking off. The first of these might give some answers in April — a short time when it comes to clinical trials, but potentially after the United States, and particularly New York City, will have seen a tsunami of Covid-19 cases.
Some doctors on the front lines will use these drug combinations, particularly with patients who are so sick they are on ventilators. As one doctor told me, the risks associated with these drugs, like heart rhythm disturbance or worsening psoriasis, don’t warrant not using them in patients who are in serious trouble. But there is also a need to conduct studies of them to find out if they are truly effective. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order saying that pharmacists should not dispense the drugs to treat Covid-19 unless they are part of a clinical trial. Studies for another drug, remdesivir from Gilead Sciences, are expected to read out in the coming weeks.
Zach Weinberg, one of the co-founders of Flatiron Health, a division of Roche, remembers the difficult transition of going from working in online advertising, where his first company was focused, to Flatiron, which is focused on cancer. In software, more data is better. In cancer, the wrong type of data can lead to conclusions that are not only incorrect but dangerous.
“Sometimes people confuse saying, ‘the study doesn’t tell you anything’ with saying the drug doesn’t work,” Weinberg said. “That’s a really important distinction. They’re not the same thing. I’m not saying the drug doesn’t work or does work. What I’m actually saying is nobody knows if the drug works or doesn’t work.”
His lesson: when dealing with a pandemic, listen to experts who are used to grappling with these problems.
“Society tends to put people who’ve been successful in one area on a pedestal, and draw the conclusion that means they’re expert at many things even though the expertise that they had in one area has nothing to do with the other,” Weinberg said.
About the Author
Matthew Herper
Senior Writer, Medicine
Matthew covers medical innovation — both its promise and its perils.
To answer the question of the title — given the successful cases of hundreds of patients in France and upstate New York and numerous anecdotal evidence around the country, WHY NOT TRY?
The treatment protocols have already been shared. What do you have to lose?
Trump haters like Dr Haseltine at Forbes are pimping the tiny Shanghai stiudy as gold
Same here with Herper
Thanks for posting this! Gives me HOPE! I can take Zpack just fine. Have never tried the hydroxychloroquine. I am allergic to so many antibiotics and blood pressure meds. Our sons are also allergic to antibiotics. Possible fatal reactions. I would still try this drug combo! I will be the almost 70 year old guinea pig!
THIS IS GOING TO TAKE TIME...
Put ambition aside and administer what has been proven to be effective. Those who succumbed to the disease would have wanted the right to try Hydroxychloroquine. Every drug has some who cannot tolerate it.
EXCELLENT NEWS: Treatment Effective on 699 Patients
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3829492/posts
“I wonder how much big science doesn’t want the generic drug to work...no money in that.”
How un-gallant of you to notice that the patent is long expired on this drug an anyone can mass produce it. Big pharma hates when that happens.
We don’t know? Several studies have shown a near perfect survival rate when taking it
Fauci also said today we could have 200,000 deaths associated with COVID-19 in the US alone”
We COULD have 500,000-1,000,000 deaths in ht he US alone
It was said to have worked for about 600 infected, who were treated by a doctor and only four had to be hospitalized. But the fact that it did no harm to any of them is another critical factor.
Exactly. They want to sell a vaccine or expensive therapy, not some cheapo readily available patent-expired malaria drug. Meanwhile folks will continue to drown to death on their own lung fluids because the pharmaceutical golems want their blood money.
My Brother is an MD.
He had the symptoms. Chief of Staff at a hospital in the Dallas area.
Took the Hydroxychloroquine and was fine in 2 days
scientist or schoolteacher?
Correspondence from Dr Vladimir Zelenko on Treatment of COVID-19 in New York
Dr. Vladimir (Zev) Zelenko
Board Certified Family Practitioner
501 Rt 208, Monroe, NY 10950
845-238-0000
March 23, 2020
To all medical professionals around the world:
My name is Dr. Zev Zelenko and I practice medicine in Monroe, NY. For the last 16 years, I have cared for approximately 75% of the adult population of Kiryas Joel, which is a very close knit community of approximately 35,000 people in which the infection spread rapidly and unchecked prior to the imposition of social distancing.
As of today my team has tested approximately 200 people from this community for Covid-19, and 65% of the results have been positive. If extrapolated to the entire community, that means more than 20,000 people are infected at the present time. Of this group, I estimate that there are 1500 patients who are in the high-risk category (i.e. >60, immunocompromised, comorbidities, etc).
Given the urgency of the situation, I developed the following treatment protocol in the pre-hospital setting and have seen only positive results:
1. Any patient with shortness of breath regardless of age is treated.
2. Any patient in the high-risk category even with just mild symptoms is treated.
3. Young, healthy and low risk patients even with symptoms are not treated (unless their circumstances change and they fall into category 1 or 2).
My out-patient treatment regimen is as follows:
1. Hydroxychloroquine 200mg twice a day for 5 days
2. Azithromycin 500mg once a day for 5 days
3. Zinc sulfate 220mg once a day for 5 days
The rationale for my treatment plan is as follows. I combined the data available from China and South Korea with the recent study published from France (sites available on request). We know that hydroxychloroquine helps Zinc enter the cell. We know that Zinc slows viral replication within the cell. Regarding the use of azithromycin, I postulate it prevents secondary bacterial infections. These three drugs are well known and usually well tolerated, hence the risk to the patient is low.
Since last Thursday, 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 diarrhea.
In sum, my urgent recommendation is to initiate treatment in the outpatient setting as soon as possible in accordance with the above. Based on my direct experience, it prevents acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), prevents the need for hospitalization and saves lives.
With much respect,
Dr. Zev Zelenko
cc: President Donald J. Trump; Mr. Mark Meadows, Chief of Staff
Matthew Herper, there is no cure for stupid, and people who self medicate are stupid.
Covid-19 Survivor Praises President Trump, Hydroxychloroquine: ‘I Am Living Proof’ It Works
The pandemic has claimed thousands of lives around the world but maybe his story will be a turning point in the fight.
38-year-old Jim Santilli says he is ‘living proof’ that a combination of malaria drugs and antibiotics will save people’s lives that are sick with Covid-19. The pandemic has claimed thousands of lives around the world but maybe his story will be a turning point in the fight.
Santilli says he became seriously ill on Wednesday March 18th at his Macomb County, Michigan home with severe cardiac and respiratory issues. He went to Henry Ford Macomb Hospital and the doctors immediately tested him for Covid-19 and admitted him to the hospital.
During a Saturday interview with syndicated TV and Radio Host Steve Gruber, Santilli said the biggest problem was waiting for test results that took four days to come back. In the meantime his condition worsened by the hour and he thought he was going to die.
The doctors are restricted in what they can do Santilli explained until they have a result because some treatments, like using steroids can actually make the Covid-19 situation even worse.
By Saturday morning however his situation had become grave. Santilli says he was slowly drowning and was convinced he “would not live until midnight.” That’s when Doctors made a decision he says changed everything.
An infectious disease physician decided to try an ‘off label treatment’ by combining the malaria drug Hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic Azithromycin in combination. The same combination promoted by President Trump in recent days.
It worked!
Within a few hours he says he started to come back and suddenly had hope that he could beat the illness. “I am living proof that this worked!” Santilli, who is now recovering at home said. There is no question he says the combination of drugs saved his life and he praised President Trump for making everyone aware of the possibility. In fact, after getting his first dose on Saturday he was able to leave the hospital on Tuesday after receiving just four days of the medications.
“Donald Trump recommending that medication combination saved my life and a lot of other people’s lives”, Santilli proclaimed!
When asked about Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issuing a statewide ban this week on doctors using the drug combo Santilli said, it is a terrible decision on her part and added ominously, “She is sentencing people to death.” This is not a time to be playing politics when people’s lives are at stake.
Santilli added that he isn’t the only one that is alive because of Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin either. He said the medical staff told him other patients were also responding well to the treatment and their lives are also being saved.
He noted that New York is buying the same drugs to deal with the Covid-19 Pandemic in their state.
Hear the entire Jim Santilli interview here.
Steve Gruber is a syndicated TV and Radio Host based in Michigan. You can find out more at stevegruber.com.
This piece was written by Steve Gruber on March 28, 2020. It originally appeared in SteveGruber.com and is used by permission.
Read more at SteveGruber.com:
Democrats Must Stop Telling Us Millions Will Die
The Fear Is Killing Us And The Economy Too
Illegal Aliens Will NOT Be Getting $1200 Coronavirus Relief Payments
The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The American Mirror.
I have no problem with getting clincical trials underway. One can easily argue that clinical trials are far more in the “domain” of the CDC than collecting data on gun violence.
However, there is enough clinical data to show a benefit. Thus the prudent option would be to ramp up US domestic production of hydroxycloroquine (it is used to treat other conditions) and allow those who are in dire shape access to the drug.
Those who are already in the hospitals who are not so critical can be part of the clinical trials. Their survival is not in as much jeopardy. Further, there is another population that can be tested - Those that test positive but are not sick enough to admit to a hospital. A clinical trial of those individuals - i.e. testing of non-critical conditions would allow a better observation of any potential harmful effects.
The point is, the CDC can do it’s job and ramp up testing - I have no problem with that. But this requires funding, and drug manufactures are NOT incented to pay for testing of a drug that is off patent that they cant make money on it’s production. I am of the opinion that the “bail out” should have included funding for a wide variety of inexpensive drug trials. I am under the impression that it did not.
The supply / manufacture of hydroxychloroquine could be enhanced by offering to purchase 2 million doses from a US stateside manufacturer, at 20% above the market price. This would be enough to treat the US military, it would create additional capacity. After that contract has been met, that additional capacity can be used to meet the market demand.
Ventilators are a death sentence with covid-19, if that’s your fallback good luck.
Go ahead and let big pharma create a all in one hydroxychloroquine with Zpack and Zinc.
Call it Cuomonextpresident and sell it for $100 a pill.
Not let us live!
Those MedCram lectures are fantastic. I know zero organic chemistry or cellular biology, but they are (somewhat) easy to follow. Dr. Seheult is an excellent lecturer.
I’ve come away with an amazing appreciation for the complexity of our bodies at the cellular and molecular levels. All the messaging that takes place in the immune system is just astounding.
Not let us live! + NOW let us live!
The drug WORKS..plenty of people on twitter who have taken it because they demanded it say that it cured them from this virus..a doctor went on Tucker and said that he takes the drug to PREVENT from getting the virus..it works..there is ZERO harm in taking it, Im so sick of this “Anecdotal” BS, people are dying what do they have to lose, they are going to die anyway, TRY THE DRUG!!! The reason why they wont do it is because orange man bad, Trump said “Give it a try” so commies say “No, we wont give you the satisfaction of showing that it works thus proving you right so we will continue to let people croak” If Obama had said try the drug it would have been given already
Also..the fact that the ingredients come from China I think that is another reason why Trump has been nice nice with Xi, he needs the drug made, he knows that he will only get it if he plays nice with the devil
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