France's health ministry has barred prescribing hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, saying there is no proof that it helps patients – and citing data that shows it could cause heart problems and other health risks.
, which had found no benefit from the drug and reported a higher mortality rate for hospitalized patients and"an increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias."
France's health ministry had approved hydroxychloroquine for emergency prescriptions in COVID-19 cases in late March., that's when French researcher Didier Raoult, who has been an insistent proponent of hydroxychloroquine, said he had successfully treated COVID-19 patients using the controversial drug in combination with azithromycin. But the health ministry says recent studies show the treatment can produce"cardiac toxicity, particularly in combination with azithromycin.
Researchers continue to evaluate the possible use of hydroxychloroquine, which is used to treat malaria and lupus, to fight the coronavirus, with at least two studies under way in the U.S. As NPR's Joe Palca reports, the drug has been found to be able to prevent replication of the coronavirus. President Trump has frequently touted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 – and last week, he said that he was taking doses of both hydroxychloroquine and zinc to protect against the coronavirus, despite warnings about the drug.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
France again ranks No. 4 in COVID-19 deaths as Spain revises tallyFrance again ranked fourth in coronavirus deaths after the United States, Britain and Italy, as Spain revised its tally down by nearly 2,000 on Monday.
Read more »
France clamps down on hydroxychloroquine use for Covid-19France's public health agency advised today against using hydroxychloroquine outside of clinical trials. Shortly after that, the national medicines regulator suspended its use in clinical trials.
Read more »
France, Italy, Belgium act to stop use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 on safety fearsFrance, Italy and Belgium acted to halt the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat patients suffering from COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, amid questions about the safety of the generic anti-malaria drug.
Read more »
L.A. County COVID-19 cases top 46,000 on Memorial DayLos Angeles County reported 12 new coronavirus deaths and an additional 1,047 cases Monday.
Read more »
Trump issues Brazil travel ban due to COVID-19FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn warns 'the coronavirus is not yet contained' as states begin to open up: 'It is up to every individual to protect themselves and their community.'
Read more »