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A group of doctors and citizens recommended hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as oral prophylaxis or as a preventive measure against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
During an event they hosted in Pasig City on Thursday, physicians and concerned citizens of the Philippines (CDC PH) touted HCQ as an effective, safe, inexpensive and readily available intervention that focuses on early treatment and home quarantine for the majority of patients, and as prophylaxis for high-risk individuals, as first-line physicians.
“We propose to the President that the Philippines adopt a national protocol for the prophylaxis and early treatment of Covid-19 that aims to reduce hospitalization and prevent loss of life.” Said the statement, which was read by former Secretary of Health Jaime Gálvez-Tan.
CDC PH, which advocates for an end to quarantine closures so people can rebuild their lives, said it was willing to sit down with the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to discuss its proposal, which can be implemented. at the barangay level.
“Once these steps are taken, there will no longer be a need to choose between saving the economy and saving precious Philippine lives,” the group said.
Several doctors discussed the use of HCQ, which was previously removed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the drugs included in the solidarity trial for a possible Covid-19 cure.
The WHO said it discontinued the use of HCQ, which is used to treat malaria, after it was found to offer no reduction in mortality among hospitalized Covid-19 patients.
According to one of the panel doctors, Joel López, most of the countries that did not use HCQ had a higher case fatality rate than the countries that used it.
López said that doctors should follow the therapy promoted by Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, who proposes the use of zinc, low-dose HCQ and azithromycin as a cure for Covid-19, but the drug has been discredited by various media outlets, including the New York Times. and Snopes.com.
Galvez-Tan also urged the public to get out and “experience the sun” to absorb vitamin D, which doctors on the panel said can help boost the immune system.
“Most studies now show that if you are outside, the transmission of Covid is less likely or almost nil. As long as we’re not packed like sardines. ”Galvez-Tan said.
He also emphasized that the government should shift from a hospital-oriented response to a community-oriented one.
“He could not also understand if we say ‘no more home quarantine’…. The whole movement is moving from the hospitals to the community, doing prophylaxis and doing prevention, ”he said.
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