The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a stern warning for those suffering from COVID-19 or fearful of contracting it not to use the drug unless they’re part of a clinical trial. The directive, first reported by the New York Times, cites severe problems with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, including heart rhythm problems. They aren’t the first agency to counsel against its use.
The FAA says that if you take hydroxychloroquine, you should stop flying. The treatment was touted recently by President Trump during his afternoon briefings as a possible treatment for COVID-19, though his medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, counseled caution, saying the drug wasn’t a proven treatment. According to experts, hydroxychloroquine has numerous negative potential side effects. The Center For Disease Control lists a number of those, including vomiting, nausea, stomach pain and headaches, though it says that the drug is typically well-tolerated and can be taken safely. The advisory was prompted, the story reported, by reports of the heart problems emerging in recent days.
An FAA spokesperson was quoted by Business Insider, saying that the FAA has long banned the use of the anti-malaria drugs by pilots. The directive reads, “Due to the wide variety of dosages and lack of standardized protocols for treating COVID-19, pilots using these medications are disqualified from performing safety related duties until 48 hours after they have stopped using them.”
The FAA went further still, according to CNN, saying that there’s “no satisfactory scientific evidence that use of these medications decreases the severity of the virus.” It added that there are other, better and safer options. “Exercise of social distancing and handwashing represent a far more effective means of prevention,” the guidance said, according to CNN. “As information changes, we will update our policy based on the best scientific evidence available to us.”
In recent days the President has stopped recommending the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for treating or preventing or treating COVID-19.
