[ad_1]
Coronavirus patients who were treated with the drugs hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin experienced cardiac abnormalities, adding further evidence to the suggestion that the drugs have unknown risks.
Eighty-four COVID-19 patients were treated at a New York facility, according to a peer-reviewed correspondence published in Natural medicine. Most of the patients were men, with an average age of 63 years.
The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, an antibiotic used to treat many infections caused by bacteria, has been widely promoted as a treatment to reduce the symptoms of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
However, both drugs have independently shown that they increase the risk of various types of heart rhythm abnormalities, such as QTc interval prolongation. This is the time it takes for a heart to recharge between beats.
When the QTc interval is prolonged, a patient may be at risk for arrhythmia, a heart disorder that affects the rate or rhythm at which the heart beats, and sudden cardiac death.
After patients were administered the medications at the New York facility, the authors followed up with an EKG that revealed heart rhythm problems in most people.
The QTc was severely prolonged in 11 percent of patients, putting them at high risk for arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Four patients in the group died from multiple organ failure, without evidence of arrhythmia and without severe QTc prolongation.
The researchers found that the majority of COVID-19 patients who were treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin experienced QTc prolongation.
However, the authors of the correspondence noted that this may have been exacerbated by pre-existing conditions. They may also have experienced more severe symptoms of the new coronavirus, making them more critical than other patients.
The authors concluded that QTc in patients with COVID-19 who are treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin should be constantly monitored.
One of the key problems is that less is known about the side effects of medications in critically ill patients.
Hydroxychloroquine trials are carried out in hospitals around the world, but there is limited evidence to suggest that it is effective in treating the virus. A small study in France found that the drug had no clinical benefit when combined with azithromycin.
Another small study published by the Zhejiang University Magazine in China, it was shown that patients who took hydroxychloroquine did not fight COVID-19 more frequently than those who did not receive the drug. Thirty patients participated in the research, which was randomized.
Concerns have also been raised about the drug’s possible side effects, which in some cases can lead to heart problems and cardiac death. In a trial in France, treatment had to be stopped in one patient after the drug became a “major risk” for his cardiac health.
In an interview with the French newspaper. Nice-MatinProfessor Émile Ferrari, head of the cardiology department at the Pasteur hospital in Nice, said the side effects had already been identified, and some patients had to discontinue treatment due to the risk it represented.
John Phillips / Getty Images
Advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the use of facial covers to reduce the spread of COVID-19
- The CDC recommends using a cloth face covering in public where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- A simple cloth face covering can help delay the spread of the virus by those infected and by those without symptoms.
- Fabric face liners can be made from household items. CDC offers guidelines.
- Fabric face linings should be washed regularly. A washing machine will suffice.
- Practice safe removal of facial covers by not touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash your hands immediately after removing the cover.
Tips from the World Health Organization to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Hygiene tips
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Wash hands after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after food preparation; before eating; after using the bathroom; when the hands are visibly dirty; and after handling animals or waste.
- Keep at least 1 meter (3 feet) away from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your hands, nose and mouth. Do not spit in public.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a folded or disposable tissue when you cough or sneeze. Discard the tissue immediately and clean your hands.
Medical advice
- Avoid close contact with other people if you have any symptoms.
- Stay home if you don’t feel well, even with mild symptoms, such as a headache and a runny nose, to prevent the possible spread of the disease to medical facilities and others.
- If you develop severe symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) seek medical attention in advance and contact local health authorities in advance.
- Please note any recent contact with others and travel details to provide authorities that can track and prevent the spread of the disease.
- Stay up-to-date on COVID-19 developments issued by health authorities and follow their directions.
Use of mask and gloves
- Healthy people only need to wear a mask if they care for a sick person.
- Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
- Masks are effective when used in combination with frequent hand cleaning.
- Do not touch the mask while wearing it. Wash your hands if you touch the mask.
- Learn how to properly put on, take off, and dispose of masks. Wash your hands after disposing of the mask.
- Do not reuse disposable skins.
- Regularly washing bare hands is more effective against COVID-19 capture than wearing rubber gloves.
- The COVID-19 virus can still be spread through rubber gloves and spread by touching your face.
