India Has A Unique Cluster Of Covid-19 Virus, HCQ And Its Resumed Trial.
The number of positive cases in India are rising at an exponential rate. According to a survey it was found out that 41% of the genome analysis of the COVID-19 virus in the Indian samples was of a distinct cluster. The scientists named this particular trait as “Clade I/A3i”
It is important to know that globally only 3.5% of the genomes submitted into the public domain have this unique trait. It has been said that this cluster might have originated in February and then spread throughout India.
Scientists all over the world have said that the coronavirus is not getting weaker, the people are just fighting stronger now. There have been various controversial approaches towards the pandemic but the most common one has been about the HCQ drug. It is also being said that the virus would come back for a second wave once again just it is returning to other countries. Various studies have suggested that HCQ can prevent Coronavirus and on the flip side, various researchers are against this drug. It is a drug for malaria which President Donald Trump used to prevent COVID-19. The drug did not cause any serious harm in the initial days but later on, people started dying because of it. Federal regulators have warned against the use of this drug because of the side-effects it has. Another study has suggested that there is basically no effect and no prevention of infection from the drug.
The world health organization temporarily halted its large scale trial of its HCQ after checking its side effects. A study was published in The Lancet and found that patients getting the drug appears to have a higher mortality rate. Later on, the study got a lot of backlash as nearly 150 doctors signed an open letter against this. Now, WHO’s study against the drug has started again and they are monitoring the use of this drug at a global level. One simple drug and so many complications.
Donald Trump has said that he has been using the drug himself and he’s doing just fine. India has also extended the guidelines for the use of this drug and is exporting this drug to various countries. The FDA is aware of reports of serious heart rhythm problems in patients with COVID-19 who are given HCQ. The studies which are against the HCQ you have shown decreased in-hospital survival and increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias.
The biggest health authority of the world is confused. The WHO has said that there is no conclusive evidence yet of the efficiency of this drug and the side-effects are well documented. In their latest conference, they said that every nation with effective regulatory authorities can advise the citizens of the country to use the drug. They have also said that no effective results have been shown till now. Side-effects must also be considered. Many countries have limited it to clinical trials under supervision in hospital settings. And the entire situation about the regulation of the drug depends upon the country in their own zone. When the highest authority of the world, the world health organization cannot come to a conclusive point for the drug, why are people using it?
The Indian government is also readily giving HCQ to all the people at the forefront who are fighting with the virus. Healthcare workers in the containment zone and who are treating the people in the hospitals are given HCQ. these people have shown little side effects of the drug, like nausea, pain, vomiting and various other illnesses. There have also been adverse drug reactions associated with the use of this drug.
Even Sanofi suspended the recruitment for the trials of HCQ. A spokesperson from Sanofi said that the company would review available information and reassess the situation according to WHO.
Even the Australian trial called the Ascot trial was stopped after Lancet’s study. The outcome of this review has not been published yet. They are conducting a randomized controlled trial.
The province of Alberta suspended the use of HCQ after checking the paper which was published by Lancet. Their safety community is reviewing the drug and only after that they will use it.
After the independent study of Lancet, WHO also stopped the trials for HCQ but it is said that now the study has gone into the air. It is said that they were looking for third-party peer review into the data but people did not comply with them. The paper has been retracted because no one can vouch for the authenticity of the data.
After reviewing the safety concerns, WHO is back on track and is conducting trials on the malaria drug. The officials of WHO have said that they are committed to accelerating the development of an effective vaccine for serving the world which size, solutions, and solidarity. WHO doesn’t see any reason and doesn’t have any evidence that the drug actually reduces the mortality rate or increases is it.
HCQ been granted an emergency use authorization or the virus in the United States of America for patients under close heart monitoring. Similarly in India, the drug is in full use.
