Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has backed the use of chloroquine for people exposed to coronavirus.
According to her, it has anti-viral property, noting that she was not surprised when President Donald Trump acknowledged this.
She said that there was, however, no approval for it yet, stressing it was only effective at the clinical stage.
She said during the Friday’s edition of ‘Journalists Hangout’ on TVC, “There is no vaccine for corona yet. There are clinical trial data showing that chloroquine works. Because of the fact that it is already part of our own history, it may be the best for low-middle income countries. It is an anti-malaria drub being repurposed for corona treatment.
She, however, noted that there was no reason using chloroquine if a person had not been exposed to anyone who has coronavirus.
“But if you travel with another person that has the virus, you can take it. It is better for those exposed use it.
But bear in mind has side effects, including stomach upset, headache, itching. When it is a life-threatening case, you weigh the benefits. There is nothing new that drugs used for a purse now being used for another. Before, malaria parasite became resistant to chloroquine. Reason it was banned. Anti-viral property now discovered being repurposed.”
