SAN ANTONIO – President Donald Trump has said he is taking hydroxychloroquine, a drug commonly used to treat lupus or malaria, as a preventive measure to battle COVID-19.
KSAT viewers wanted us to ask local Doctor Ruth Berggren from UT Health, “Is this a good idea”?
Berggren is familiar with the drug and says while it is a good drug with many different uses, it has many side effects.
“We only use prescription medication when we know that the benefits are going to outweigh the risks and the public needs to know the risks of hydroxychloroquine are not trivial,” Berggren said.
Some of the effects include:
- Heart issues: Abnormal heart rhythms and weakening of the heart muscles which could lead to sudden cardiac death.
- Suppression of bone marrow: Dr. Berggren says this could lead to an even weaker immune system because bone marrow is not making the cells needed to fight infections.
- Eye toxicity: The chemicals can affect the eye causing conjunctivitis.
Dr. Berggren says there is no evidence that the drug has any effect on COVID-19. The research still being done on hydroxychloroquine.
“We are going to get data and I imagine it’s going to be a matter of weeks and maybe months, but we’ll have real solid information. Until that happens, I do not recommend that people take this drug,” Berggren said.
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