KOCHI: The state Health Department is continuing to recommend the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a preventive drug against the new coronavirus despite the World Health Organisation (WHO) temporarily halting tests on the old anti-Malarial drug in its Covid-19 drug trials pending more data because of safety concerns.
“The healthcare workers, including doctors, who are treating Covid positive patients in the state are continuing to use hydroxychloroquine. Those who are having cardiac and other issues are not being given the drug,” said Dr Praveen G S, epidemiologist, Government Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam.
The WHO’s steering committee on Monday took the decision after Lancet, one of the best-known medical journals, published a study that said HCQ was linked to an increased risk of death and heart ailments. The WHO said a call will be taken once the existing evidence has been reviewed. Patients who were randomised to the HCQ arm earlier will complete their treatment.
On May 22, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued revised guidelines on the use of HCQ cautioning that the intake of the drug should not instil a sense of false security among its users. It said the data on the assessment of HCQ prophylaxis among 1,323 health care workers indicated mild adverse effects such as nausea (8.9%), abdominal pain (7.3%), vomiting (1.5%), hypoglycemia (1.7%) and cardiovascular effects (1.9%).
“However, as per the data from the Pharmacovigilance program of India, there have been 214 reported instances of adverse drug reactions associated with prophylactic HCQ use,” ICMR said.
Dr Vibha Santosh, faculty-internal medicine, Government Medical College, Ernakulam, said last week’s revised guidelines by ICMR, in fact, broadened the use of HCQ to include all the frontline users.
“Earlier, it was being used only by health care workers. Under the revised guidelines, now all the frontline Covid workers, including police personnel, are allowed to use the drug,” she said.
Dr Vibha pointed out that HCQ was a 60-year-old drug, which was used for the prevention of Malaria, and no major side effects have been noticed.
“Only a small dose is prescribed for the frontline workers for six weeks. Now that the six weeks are over, we need to wait for further direction,” she said, adding that following the WHO’s prescription for a temporary halt in HCQ use, there may be a further communication from the Kerala Health Department on the use of the drug.
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