On Thursday, March 19, POTUS Trump announced that
chloroquine (an anti-malarial) could possibly cure Covid-19, the disease caused by the
novel coronavirus, which sent residents of Nigeria's two biggest cities (Lagos
and Abuja) into a mad rush for the drug. Hospitals in Lagos and Nigeria already
reported a number of cases of chloroquine poisoning as many took huge doses of
the drug. The price of chloroquine in Nigeria has skyrocketed since the
announcement was made, with prices tripling in some areas.
America's Food and Drugs Authority, FDA, has however disclaimed
the assertion that chloroquine was a cure for Covid-19, saying the agency was
still working to examine all possibilities. "One of the things that we
promised the American people as we will collect the data and make the absolute
right decisions based upon those data about the safety and efficacy of the
treatments," said FDA Commissioner Steven Hahn. "We are working
expeditiously and we are working to make sure these products are as safe and
effective as they possibly can be," he added.
Oreoluwa Finnih, senior special assistant to Lagos governor
on health has warned against the consumption of chloroquine as a measure to
prevent coronavirus infection. Nigeria's Center for Disease Control reports 12
coronavirus cases in the country.
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