French Government Officially Sanctions Use Of Chloroquine Treatment For Coronavirus

France Sanctions Chloroquine After 78 Of 80 Patients Completely Recover From COVID-19 Within Five Days

Eric A. Blair

The French government has officially sanctioned the malaria drug chloroquine to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus, France 24 English reported Saturday.

“This ensures continued treatment of patients who have been treated for several years for a chronic condition with this drug, but also allows a temporary authorization to allow certain patients with coronavirus to benefit from this therapeutic route,” France’s Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon said.

The French move came after Didier Raoult, an infectious diseases specialist, reported that clinical results show 78 of 80 patients treated with chloroquine recovered within five days,.

This was Dr. Raoult’s second successful treatment against the coronavirus.

Doctors in France now will finally be able to treat patients with Didier Raoult, a renown doctor that specializes in infectious diseases, announcing new clinical results that show out of 80 patients treated with chloroquine, 78 recovered within 5 days.

That’s considerably more than the usual 14 days and for some it can go up to 28 days if they recover at all.

The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, further said on Thursday that doctors can now prescribe chloroquine both in hospital and for home usage:

“Hydroxychloroquine and the combination of lopinavir / ritonavir may be prescribed, dispensed and administered under the responsibility of a doctor to patients affected by Covid-19, in the healthcare establishments which take charge of them, as well as for the continuation of their treatment if their condition allows it and with the authorization of the initial prescriber, at home.”

In America considerable politics has developed over chloroquine, but New York should be out with the results on Monday which may lead to a US wide sanctioned usage of treatment.

On Thursday, France’s Minister of Health Olivier Véran said: “Hydroxychloroquine and the combination of lopinavir/ritonavir may be prescribed, dispensed and administered under the responsibility of a doctor to patients affected by Covid-19, in the healthcare establishments which take charge of them, as well as for the continuation of their treatment if their condition allows it and with the authorization of the initial prescriber, at home.”

Washington Post reported on Thursday that New York is using the drug as treatment.

“New York will use three medications — hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin — contributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Amneal Pharmaceuticals,” The Post said, citing state officials. “The first wave of patients will receive hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.”