Cameronian born medical practitioner, Dr. Stella Immanuel, a General Practitioner (GP) in the United States recently stated that she has treated over 350 patients of COVID-19 with a combination of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Zinc, and Zithromax.
She said at a news conference held by a group of American doctors under the aegis of “America’s Frontline Doctors” in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington DC that the antimalarial drug Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc and Antibacterial Drug Zithromax, were effective cures for the coronavirus disease.
The doctors held a two-day “White Coat Summit” at the Capitol Hill to address what they call “massive disinformation campaign” surrounding the virus.
These claims which have been met with widespread popularity have been proven to be purely unsubstantiated and not scientifically proven on numerous levels and on numerous occasions she has been called out to present strong quantifiers to prove her claims that Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Zinc, and Zithromax actually work when used as a combination against the novel coronavirus. This she has utterly refused to do and completely ignored.
In an apparent warning shot at Dr. Stella Immanuel, the Texas agency that regulates the practice of medicine has advised physicians it can take action against those who promise a cure for COVID-19.
Read Also: Why AMA Needs To Call On Dr Immanuel To Prove Her Claims
The Texas Medical Board issued a statement about such claims just a few days after Dr. Stella Immanuel very publicly touted hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the disease. Numerous studies have found the drug does not show any benefit against COVID-19 and the Food and Drug Administration has cautioned about its use because of reports linking it with heart problems and other injuries and disorders.
“A physician must provide full disclosure of treatment options, side effects, obtain informed consent, and there cannot be false, misleading or deceptive advertising or statements made regarding any therapies, including a cure for COVID-19,” says the medical board’s statement.
The statement said if the board were to receive a complaint about false, misleading or deceptive advertising, it would be reviewed following its standard enforcement process. It did not say the complaint had to involve harm to a patient. The Texas Medical Board statement, noting the medical community is “still learning, researching and gaining understanding of the virus,” said that while drugs and therapies are being used to treat COVID-19, “there is no definitive cure at this time.” It said any treatment decision must be made “with full, proper and accurate disclosure by a physician.”
In March the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted “emergency use” authorisation for these drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 for a limited number of hospitalised cases. But the FDA subsequently issued a warning about the risk of the drugs causing serious heart rhythm problems in coronavirus patients and cautioned against using them outside of a hospital setting or clinical trial. And in June, the FDA withdrew the drug., saying clinical trials had shown it was no longer reasonable to believe it would produce an antiviral effect.
There have also been reports of people poisoning themselves taking the drugs without medical supervision.
The WHO has responded by advising people not to self-medicate and “has cautioned against physicians and medical associations recommending or administering these unproven treatments.”
France had authorised hospitals to prescribe the drugs for patients with Covid-19 but later reversed that decision after the country’s medical watchdog warned of possible side effects.
It is still unclear how the chloroquines (or any antimalarial drug) would work against COVID-19, which is a virus. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites that are spread by mosquitoes, whereas COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Viral infections and parasitic infections are very different, and so scientists wouldn’t expect what works for one to work for the other. It has been suggested that the chloroquines can change the acidity at the surface of the cell, thereby preventing the virus from infecting it.
Dr. Stella Immanuel still needs to officially prove her claims about the use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Zinc, and Zithromax. It proven to be correct, it could serve as a stepping stone for further research in the biochemical properties and the prevention of the deadly virus. Her refusal to actually give substantial evidence and reportage further portray her and her claims as phoney.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
