In recent weeks, there has been a surge in fake news articles regarding the effectiveness of existing medicine and chemical substances to treat or entirely prevent the coronavirus. Here are some clear facts on these substances so that more people do not come to harm due to these false beliefs.
Chloroquine
Chloroquine is traditionally used to treat malaria, as it has proven to reduce fever and inflammation. Current clinical trials are trying to test the effectiveness of this drug on the COVID-19 virus, although it has not been approved by any governing body as an effective treatment.
For no reason should you attempt to acquire this drug and self medicate as the effects may have permanent and lasting damage to your body such as liver damage. If the clinical trials are a success, and the FDA approves the use of Chloroquine against COVID-19, then the right dosage will safely be administered by healthcare professionals only.
Hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine is derived from Chloroquine, which is the chemical referred to by the president of the United States in his recent press conference, encouraging people to “Take it”. Opposingly, the UK government has issued a strict warning that it is not licensed in treating the coronavirus, nor should it be used in an attempt to prevent it.
The improper use of Hydroxychloroquine can lead to severe and permanent damage to the body. The World Health Organisation has not approved the use of Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent COVID-19.
Azithromycin
This drug has proven to be the most volatile of the three circulating fake news articles during this pandemic. Azithromycin is an antibiotic, used to treat certain STI’s and infections of the eyes, ears, and skin. Its effectiveness in treating bacterial infections has been widely noted, however as COVID-19 is a virus, antibiotics have no effect on them what so ever. Taking antibiotics when one does not require them can cause the body to develop antibiotic resistance, meaning that if you ever were to need the drug to treat a certain ailment, your body would have built up an immunity, rendering it useless.
The lack of evidence to suggest the effectiveness of Azithromycin is widely available, with the World Health Organization also adding that:
“No, antibiotics do not work against viruses. The 2019-nCOV is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment”.
If you or someone you live with begins to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 such as a persistent dry cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, following the government advice by calling 111 and giving them a detailed overview of your symptoms.
Staying Safe During the Pandemic
In order to stay safe during an outbreak of this kind, one must do all to reduce to the probability of infection transmission by upholding a high standard of personal hygiene whilst also wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment. If you are to go out in public, it is advised to wear a face mask, which you can find on our website in a range of different styles and fits. The N95 face mask, KN95 face mask or FFP2 equivalent is recommended against filtering out the infectious respiratory droplets that spread via the air and surfaces.
