Sweden, Citing Side Effects, Suspends Chloroquine Use in Coronavirus Patients

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Leading hospitals in Sweden have discontinued the use of chloroquine in patients infected with the coronavirus as a result of reports of severe side effects – such as cardiac arrhythmias and loss of peripheral vision.

Advocated by Presidents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro as a potential cure for Covid-19, chloroquine – or its variant, hydroxychloroquine – is prescribed for the treatment of malaria, but has been tested in patients with coronavirus albeit lacking scientific evidence of the drug’s effectiveness in these cases.

“Medical recommendations should be made by specialists, not politicians,” Swedish physician Magnus Gisslén, professor at the University of Gothenburg and head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden’s leading hospital and one of Europe’s largest.

All hospitals in the Västra Götaland region – including the city of Gothenburg, the second largest in the country – have stopped administering chloroquine to Covid-19 patients. Several hospitals in the Swedish capital – including Södersjukhuset, one of Stockholm’s largest – have also announced the discontinuation of the drug.

“We have made the decision to stop using chloroquine in the face of a number of suspected cases of severe side effects, which we have learned about both here in Sweden and through hospital colleagues in other countries,” said Professor Magnus Gisslén.

The specialist points out that one of the main potential side effects of chloroquine is the risk of arrhythmia and cardiac arrest, particularly if administered in high doses. Excessive doses can be lethal.

“At the start of the coronavirus crisis, we began administering chloroquine in Covid-19 patients, which was already being done in countries like China, Italy, and France. But faced with suspicions that the drug might have more serious side effects than we believed, we chose not to risk lives. It can’t be ruled out that the drug may even worsen the patient’s condition,” notes the Swedish doctor.

He stresses the concern that evidence is still lacking to support the hope that chloroquine may be effective in treating Covid-19.

“We will therefore wait until there can be more robust evidence surrounding the use of chloroquine,” says Magnus Gisslén.

The Swedish newspaper Expressen reported the case of a coronavirus patient who had his vision affected after being treated with chloroquine at the Södersjukhuset hospital in the Swedish capital.

According to the newspaper, the hospital prescribed two daily doses of chloroquine to 40-year-old Swedish Carl Sydenhag, two days after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 on March 23rd.

Sydenhag then experienced severe headaches and cramps and had his peripheral vision reduced. Now free of the Covid-19 symptoms, Sydenhag says he feels much better, although his vision is even worse than usual.

Advocating chloroquine

In Brazil, the use of chloroquine is one of the main disagreements between President Jair Bolsonaro and the Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta – who has called for caution in its use. In a national televised statement on Wednesday night, April 8th, President Jair Bolsonaro again advocated the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of Covid-19.

In the United States, President Donald Trump has also become a great advocate of chloroquine in the treatment of people infected by the coronavirus, despite no conclusive studies on its effectiveness.

According to the New York Times, Trump’s position may also be motivated by personal interests: the American President is a shareholder in Sanofi, the pharmaceutical company that owns the drug’s patent. According to the report, one of the company’s main shareholders is Ken Fisher, who is among the largest campaign donors to Donald Trump’s Republican Party.

Source: RFI