Two Ghanaian scientists write in respect of Covid cure claim:
We have seen a video that has gone viral online in which a Doctor in the US claims Hydroxychloroquine is both a cure and prevention for COVID-19. While we admire the boldness of the doctor, we think it is important we share some knowledge and provide a broad overview of the global COVID-19 response. We do so with the understanding that the science around COVID-19 changes very fast and we keep learning new things each day. The following ten points capture our response to the Doctor’s video.
1. NO CURE : From all the information we have to date, there is NO CURE for Covid-19. Over 200 countries and territories worldwide will not go into some form of lockdowns and social distancing measures if there was a cure for Covid-19. It must be stated emphatically, that contrary to what was said in the video, there is NO CURE currently for COVID-19.
2. NO PREVENTION MEDICATION: From all the scientific information available to date, there is NO PREVENTION or prophylaxis for COVID-19. There is no randomised clinical trial which scientifically backs to use of Hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis (ie. Prevention) against COVID-19. There have been some anecdotal statements, like was made in the video and we will deal with those anecdotes in subsequent points.
3. THE PROBLEM WITH RELYING ON RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBERS: When the figures in Madagascar were small and they had no deaths, their President actively promoted the Madagascar potion as a cure for COVID-19. Today, as the numbers have increased and many deaths have been recorded, Madagascar has asked for help from the international community to address COVID-19. Remember that about 9 out of 10 COVID patients will recover hence it is very easy to attribute this recovery of the majority to a drug or potion used during that period. As the numbers increase, we realise the Hydroxychloroquine does not cure COVID-19.
4. WE MUST BLINDLY SUPPORT AFRICAN CLAIMS: There appears to be a growing perception towards supporting a claim from either an African nation or an African doctor simply because they are one of us. In science, this use of patriotism is misplaced and misguided. Many expected the continent of Africa to fully endorse and accept the Madagascar potion simply because it is from Africa. Today, the Madagascans themselves are asking for external assistance to deal with COVID-19. By the way let me add that Nigeria tested the Madagascar potion and concluded that it offered no cure whatsoever. We have seen similar claims about supporting our African sister simply because she is an African Doctor. We are also African scientists and we can conclude that her statements to the effect that there is a cure are false. Her statement about supporting the role of Hydroxychloroquine in prophylaxis have not been scientifically proven.
5. HYDROXYCHOLOQUINE HAS BEEN TRIED AND TESTED IN THE US: You would recall, President Trump was one of the very early promoters of Hydroxychloroquine. The FDA in the US actually endorsed the use of Hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 patients in the US. After an extensive use of the product, the FDA came out to state on June 15, 2020 “Based on ongoing analysis and emerging scientific data, FDA has revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) to use hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat COVID-19 in certain hospitalized patients when a clinical trial is unavailable or participation is not feasible. We made this determination based on recent results from a large, randomized clinical trial in hospitalized patients that found these medicines showed no benefit for decreasing the likelihood of death or speeding recovery” The FDA statement added that “This outcome was consistent with other new data, including those showing the suggested dosing for these medicines are unlikely to kill or inhibit the virus that causes COVID-19”. It is important to note that this decision was not based on one hospital with 300 patients but based on large scale studies involving several patients. We must also add that the mortality (deaths) in the US continued to rise rapidly during the use of Hydroxychloroquine.
6. HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE NOT USED BY MANY COUNTRIES IN EUROPE: If Hydroxychloroquine was effective against COVID-19, why is it not being used on a large scale in Europe? European governments moved to halt the use of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients, and a second global trial was suspended. Do not forget the EU was the epi-center of the COVID-19 pandemic and seriously searching for a cure to save the lives of tens of thousands dying from the pandemic particularly in Italy, Spain and UK. Even if we decide to forget about the US, how come the Europeans who were very hard hit stopped the trials after they realised the product was not effective against COVID-19 and its safety profile was not good.
7. HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE IS NOT PROMOTED IN CHINA: Many people consider China as the source of COVID-19. The country has thus had a considerable amount of experience in dealing with COVID-19. A study out of China in 150 hospitalized patients conducted in 16 sites showed that Hydroxychloroquine did not help patients clear the virus better than standard care. China has ceased to promote Hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19.
8. WHO DOES NOT RECOMMEND HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19: We fully understand that the reputation of the World Health Organization may have suffered as a result of some of the challenges it experienced in its response to COVID-19, however, it remains the global world body leading and coordinating the global response to this pandemic. To date, WHO claims it does not have the data to support or endorse the use of Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment. Infact, WHO cautions against its use for COVID-19.
9. THE POLITICIANS ARE DESPARATE TO FIND A CURE: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a political issue and is being used, in many countries, to assess the performance of Governments. Governments due for elections in 2020 or 2021 are particularly concerned and are doing everything within their ability to prevent the loss of lives of their citizens. Do you think Governments will not embrace Hydroxychloroquine completed if it was a genuine cure and if it could really save lives? Why would they toy with death, especially when the elections are staring them in the face? The fact that many Governments are not actively promoting Hydroxychloroquine should tell us that the product really does not solve the problems at hand.
10. THE GLOBAL RACE FOR A VACCINE IS UNPRECEDENTED: If there were already a cure and prevention for COVID-19, would we see the global competition we are seeing in the race for a safe and effective vaccine? To date, there are over 100 vaccine candidates at different stages in their development. There is also a scramble by rich countries to purchase the vaccines for their populations even before these vaccines become ready for public use. This should tell us how desperate the world is to find a cure or prevention. If Hydroxychloroquine was a cure, we will not witness this unprecedented level of desperation.
Some of the information the lady provides have a theoretical basis. We know Chloroquine has been shown to slow down viral replication but doesn’t kill viruses off. When this happens, the virus cannot overpower the immune system, multiply (viriostatic) and enter the blood (viremia). Without entering the blood the attack on multiple organs cannot take place. As a result of this slowing, the immune system is able to recognize the virus and use killer cells in the white blood cells to destroy it. If given with zinc which has a similar effect the two augment each other. Vitamin C increases the ability of zinc to enter the cell and slow down viral replication. Thus acting as a helper for effective action. Whilst Vit D is a known immune stimulator. However, till date no clinical data has shown this to be happening with SARS-COV-2. In effect these conversations should have been held in a professional setting rather than in the emotionally charged public space.
CONCLUSION
We conclude that we should be very careful in stating emphatically that there is a cure for COVID-19 especially when the sample size is low and a randomised clinical trial was not undertaken. We should also be careful in our quest to support anyone for the simple reason that the individual is African. So many different countries in different regions which have not endorsed Hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19 cannot be wrong. There is a desperate search for a vaccine currently and until we find a product that has the global consensus for prevention or a cure, we should practice all the safety protocols such as wearing our masks and social distancing. This is what we currently know, works.
Thank You
Kofi Hamilton Amekudzi and Kwame Sarpong Asiedu
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