Updated March 24th, 2020 at 16:41 IST

US man dies after self-medicating with Chloroquine to treat coronavirus: Report

A US man has died and his wife is in critical condition after the two tried to self-medicate against coronavirus. The two took chloroquine phosphate.

Reported by: Shubham Bose
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A US man has died and his wife is in critical condition after the two tried to self-medicate against coronavirus. As per reports, the two took chloroquine phosphate which US President Donald Trump has claimed is a possible treatment for COVID-19. It is also an additive that is commonly used in aquariums to clean fish tanks.

Not a proven cure

According to reports, Chloroquine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, but has not been approved for as a treatment of the novel coronavirus. According to the hospital system Banner Health, people should not ingest household products or inappropriate medication in order to treat and prevent the virus.

As per reports, Dr Daniel Brooks, Banner Poison and Drug Information Center medical director in a statement said that while the new virus is shrouded in mystery, people should not try to self-medicate. Within 30 minutes of ingestion, the couple experienced immediate effects that required that they are admitted into hospitals.

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As per reports, Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, has claimed that the drugs mentioned by the US President may be effective against the novel coronavirus but he has also been quoted telling reporters that the US President received his information about hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin combination's effectiveness from anecdotal reports.

Fauci, who serves on the White House coronavirus task force further added that he was not disagreeing with the fact that the drugs might work against the coronavirus but his job was to prove without the shadow of a doubt from a scientific standpoint that they were effective.

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Published March 24th, 2020 at 16:41 IST