Chloroquine Effective for COVID-19 Prevention – NAFDAC

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Obiajulu Joel Nwolu

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has declared chloroquine as potent for the prevention of coronavirus.

This was disclosed by its Director General, Christianah Mojisola Adeyeye who during an interview with reporters said the agency has realised that chloroquine can be used in the early stage of the coronavirus infection as preventive treatment.

Adeyeye said, “On March 20, 2020 during a press briefing, I said I was going through a literature and I found (out) that chloroquine and remdesivir killed COVID-19 in vitro – that is in the laboratory. In early March, there was a publication where 100 patients were treated with chloroquine in 10 hospitals across Chinese cities. I made a statement that chloroquine is only for clinical trial treatment. There has to be a level of confidence that depends on the number of subjects and results.”

She explained further, “We did not know that the disease has four stages that include pre-exposure, early stage, severe stage and post-infection. At what stage that chloroquine will be more effective, we did not know at that time.

“We are now understanding that it is not one drug that can be effective for COVID-19. It depends on the phase of the disease. We started working with Lagos State on clinical trial for chloroquine. We are getting to know that that it is working.

The director general cited gains made in the use of chloroquine in Ghana and Senegal, saying that science does not lie.

Adeyeye stated, “The Director General of Senegal’s drug regulatory body that is also Director General of the regional regulatory body ordered chloroquine from a company in Ota, Ogun State, and distributed to 15 member-countries. I know Ghana is using it. If something is effective prophylactically, it means that the disease will not progress.”

 

 

Source: Guardian 

This post was written by Obiajulu Joel Nwolu.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

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