Prescriptions Surged as Trump Praised Drugs in Coronavirus Fight
Prescriptions for two antimalarial drugs jumped by 46 times the average when the president promoted them on TV. There ’s no proof they work against Covid-19. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - April 25, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Ellen Gabler and Michael H. Keller Tags: Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) Hydroxychloroquine (Drug) Azithromycin (Drug) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) United States Politics and Government Autoimmune Diseases Lupus Erythematosus Rheumatoid Arthritis Trump, Donald J Food and Drug Administration Source Type: news

F.D.A. Warns of Heart Problems From Malaria Drugs Used for Coronavirus
The drugs, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, have been repeatedly promoted by President Trump. But they should be used only in clinical trials or hospitals, the agency said. (Source: NYT)
Source: NYT - April 25, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Denise Grady Tags: Hydroxychloroquine (Drug) Food and Drug Administration National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Azithromycin (Drug) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Trump, Donald J Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Nature Medicine ( Source Type: news

Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers: VitalPatch Biosensor
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Published: 4/25/2020. This three-page fact sheet informs healthcare providers of the emergency use of the VitalPatch Biosensor when used in the hospital setting for remote monitoring and detection of changes in the QT interval of an electrocardiogram (ECG) in general care (not in the intensive care unit) patients who are 18 years of age or older and are undergoing treatment for COVID-19 drugs that can prolong QT intervals and may cause life threatening arrhythmias (e.g., hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, especially when used in combination with azithromycin). Such remote m...
Source: Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health - April 25, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Brazilian chloroquine study halted after high dose proved lethal for some patients
Termination comes as the journal Nature raises alarm on serious heart risks associated with Covid-19 patients taking the drugsCoronavirus – live US updatesLive global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA Brazilian study investigating whether the anti-malaria drug chloroquine was effective in treating patients with Covid-19 has been halted on safety concerns, after a high dose of the drug proved lethal for some patients.Chloroquine, and a related drug, hydroxychloroquine, in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin, has been touted as a potential treatment for coronavirus by Donald Trump despite a lack of evidence...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 24, 2020 Category: Science Authors: Jessica Glenza Tags: Brazil Coronavirus outbreak Americas World news Infectious diseases Medical research Science Source Type: news

FDA Issues Warning About Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19
On April 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a MedWatch Safety Alert about the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for treating COVID-19. After preliminary studies hinted that hydroxychloroquine may help some patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms to improve, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to allow doctors to use the drug on hospitalized patients whose symptoms are not improving. Several studies were also launched to study its effects as a COVID-19 treatment. However, hydroxychloroquine can have negative effects on the heart, contributing to abnormal heart rhythms that can be li...
Source: TIME: Health - April 24, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Alice Park Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news

Reminder of risk of serious side effects with chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, EMA (updated 23 April 2020)
Agency warns these drugs can potentially cause heart rhythm problems, which could be exacerbated if treatment is combined with other medicines, such as azithromycin, that have similar effects on heart. It highlights data on use for covid are still very limited and inconclusive. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - April 24, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Pharmacy tech accused of stealing hydroxychloroquine
The man is accused of taking more than 700 tablets of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, along with the antibiotic azithromycin from Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. (Source: L.A. Times - Health)
Source: L.A. Times - Health - April 22, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Richard Winton Source Type: news

Hydroxychloroquine Seems Not to Cut Ventilator Use in COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2020 -- There is no evidence that use of hydroxychloroquine alone (HC) or with azithromycin (HC+AZ) reduces the risks for mechanical ventilation or death from any cause in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)
Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News - April 22, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news

Nationwide Study Finds Malaria Drug Touted by President Trump Led to More Deaths, No Benefits in Coronavirus Patients
A malaria drug widely touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus showed no benefit in a large analysis of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals. There were more deaths among those given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care, researchers reported. The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, it’s the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin for COVID-19, which has killed more than 171,000 people as of Tuesday. The study was posted on an online site for researchers and has not been reviewed by other scientists. Grants from ...
Source: TIME: Health - April 22, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Marilynn Marchione / AP Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 News Desk wire Source Type: news

New U.S. Treatment Guidelines for Covid-19 Don ’t See Much Progress
A panel of experts said there was insufficient evidence about many drugs that have been considered as possible remedies for coronavirus patients, including some President Trump has advocated. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - April 22, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Denise Grady Tags: Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) Azithromycin (Drug) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Hydroxychloroquine (Drug) Clinical Trials Veterans Fauci, Anthony S Trump, Donald J National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Veterans Affairs Department y Source Type: news

The Coronavirus in America: The Year Ahead
There will be no quick return to our previous lives, according to nearly two dozen experts. But there is hope for managing the scourge now and in the long term. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - April 18, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Donald G. McNeil Jr. Tags: your-feed-photojournalism Quarantines Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) United States Economy Economic Conditions and Trends Chloroquine (Drug) Hydroxychloroquine (Drug) Azithromycin (Drug) Shutdowns (Institutional) Vaccination and Immunization Source Type: news

Carmel Valley Physician Charged with Fraud for Selling Purported COVID-19 “Miracle Cure”
Jennings Staley, Skinny Beach, med spa, San Diego CA, mail fraud, azithromycin, cure, COVID-19, coronavirus, immune, virus, Carmel Valley CA, miracle cure, treatment, packs, hydroxychloroquine, medication, magic bullet, prevent, cure, fraud (Source: Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) Press Releases)
Source: Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) Press Releases - April 17, 2020 Category: Medical Law Authors: DOJ Source Type: news

IDSA: No Recommendations for COVID-19 Treatment for Now
Interim guidance from the IDSA recommends hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine in the context of a clinical trial and hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine plus azithromycin only' in context of a clinical trial. (Source: WebMD Health)
Source: WebMD Health - April 15, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

IDSA: No Recommendations for COVID-19 Treatment for Now IDSA: No Recommendations for COVID-19 Treatment for Now
Interim guidance from the IDSA recommends hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine in the context of a clinical trial and hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine plus azithromycin only ' in context of a clinical trial.Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Emergency Medicine Headlines)
Source: Medscape Emergency Medicine Headlines - April 14, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news

Considerations for Drug Interactions on QTc in Exploratory COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Treatment
Article notes the potential for hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to prolong QT interval and provoke arrhythmia; safety of the combination has not been studied. Seriously ill patients often have comorbidities that can increase risk; mechanisms to minimise this are listed. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - April 14, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news