Journal des maladies infectieuses et de la thérapie

Abstrait

The Use of 4-Aminoquinolines as Treatment for COVID-19 Infection in PCR-Positive Tested Patients: A Preliminary Study

Arinzechchukwu Chukwurah, Patrick Sodtnde,Temitope Alonge,Chinedum Peace Babalola, AA Musa Olomu, Wael Ali, Olayinka Kotila, Niyi Fajimi, Ewaoche S Itodo, Seun Falayi, David Ajayi, Adebola Olatunji, Toyin Adesope, Fidelis Ojeblenu, Modupe Ologunagba, Aduh, Rilwan Rotinwa, Gbenga Odunfa, Arinzechchukwu Chukwurah and Bisi Bright*

The advent of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) respectively, eventually ushered in the impactful SARS-COV2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which was first described in December 2019 and therefore procured the name COVID-19. Just before it was declared a pandemic by the WHO in March 2020, Nigeria experienced its first case of COVID-19 on February 27th 2020. However, at the announcement of COVID-19 in December 2019, LiveWell Initiative LWI along with its Research Collaborators, put on its Thinking Cap and designed Study Protocols for COVID-19 Response in Africa. From Mid-March to Mid-April 2020, the organization shared out the study protocols to physicians, virologists, pharmacists and other specialists in the clinical sciences; thus a Hypothesis Testing went on for a month, during which time some physicians has started trying out some of the protocols on themselves and their clients, as a means of repurposing the 4-Aminoquinolines for use in COVID-19. The Oyo State COVID-19 Isolation Centre eventually decided to embrace the Study Protocols and use them as their Standard Treatment Schedule for COVID-19. Kunle-Ara Pharmacy also used the 4-Aminoquinolines for healthcare worker prophylaxis. In collaboration with LWI, the Oyo State Isolation Centre, ably led by Prof Temitope Alonge, and the Kunle Ara Pharmacy collaborated with the LWI-Chrisland University Alliance and Professional Clinical Researchers in the United States (Prof Dotun Sobande and Dr Bola Olatunji), to run a preliminary study using real-time subjects and real-time scientific inclusion and exclusion criteria while awaiting further research bordering on a double blind placebo controlled clinical trial by NAFDAC. The study was a random Physician – Patient Trials at the discretion of Prescribing Clinicians and Clinical Researchers. The results were astounding, with 100% positive outcomes stratified against placebo. However, further research is needed to further establish the role of 4-Aminoquinolines in late COVID-19 or acute exacerbations of pre-existing conditions in high risk patients (HRP) who have been successfully managed with the regimen.