Is Plaquenil an effective cure for the virus?
By Anastasia Sokhadze
Friday, April 24
Marina Endeladze, head of the Department of Hospital for Infectious Diseases, stated in March that the drug had been prescribed to the first patient infected with the Coronavirus. Tengiz Tsertsvadze, director of the Scientific-Practical Center for Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology, said on April 7th that the drug was used in Georgia with all patients.
The doctors from the United States and Georgia argue about how effective this drug is, and the media writes about its side effects.
According to The Georgian Protocol, this drug is not used for treating people who have no symptoms. Patients whose conditions are severe undergo 5-10 days of treatment which includes the use of Plaquenil.
Because different medical societies choose different ways to treat COVID-19 and fight the virus indirectly, it remains unclear if the drug is effective or not. It is used to alleviate the complications and symptoms caused by the virus, but it requires reviews and updating interminably.
“Plaquenil relieves the expulsion of the virus. This will not hurt anyone. Rheumatologists have been prescribing the drug for months and years due to simple joint pain,” stated Tsertsvadze.
However, the aforementioned drug has side effects. These include dizziness, headache, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, tinnitus, irritability, dermatitis, psoriasis, diarrhea, hair loss, neuromuscular pain and headache. Experts say it cannot be used for patients with heart diseases and may be incompatible with other medications for diabetics.
On April 12th, Beka Bakhtadze, an intensive care physician/resuscitator at Tanner Hospital and a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic, told TV Pirveli that a study by the University of Michigan found that the condition of 30 patients under the effect of Plaquenil was worse than that of the other 30 drugs.
Doctors who use the drug for treatment spoke to RFE/RL about the side effects of the drug.
“Obviously, the drug has side effects, so it should be used very carefully and that is why in the process of its use, patients are actively monitored,” said Marina Endeladze on March 24th.
Doctors warn the population that taking the drug unless prescribed is dangerous. The call became necessary after a shortage in the market due to people buying to protect themselves from the Coronavirus.
