MEDICAL doctors in Nigeria under the auspices of Guild of Medical Directors have expressed shock over the trending video of Dr Stella Immanuel, a medical doctor in the United States of America, who claimed that the combination of Hydrochloroquine (HCQ), Zinc and Zithromax can cure Coronavirus.
The Guild of Medical Directors on Tuesday in a press release signed by Prof. Olufemi Emmanuel Babalola, its president, and made available to The ICIR said the video has been shared all over the country and led to many people justifiably asking the question of what doctors think about it.
Dr Olufemi stated that it was important for people to understand it was just Dr Immanuel’s personal opinion which has no scientific backing and could simply be regarded as “unsubstantiated claims”.
In the video that has gone viral, Dr. Stella Immanuel claimed to have treated over 350 patients in her clinic in Houston, Texas, with the combination of Hydrochloroquine (HCQ), Zinc and Zithromax.
But Olufemi said that people must understand that this is not scientific evidence and just her own personal, unsubstantiated claims.
He stated that although some studies have suggested that Hydrochloroquine was effective, while others have come to the opposite conclusion, hence the need for a medical research which has already started on it.
“As we speak, a study is underway in LUTH on its efficacy and safety. Subsequently, a meta-analysis of all these studies should be undertaken to pool all the results and come up with a summative analysis which will guide clinicians,” Olufemi said.
He submitted that until all these have been done, all anecdotal claims such as the one by Immanuel must be taken with a pinch of salt.
Olufemi also said anecdotal claims such as the herbal mixture from Madagascar have subsequently been proven ineffective.
He stated that The Guild of Medical Directors, as a body of owners of private hospitals in Nigeria, which is collectively responsible for the management of about 70 per cent of the healthcare needs of Nigerians found it imperative to clear air on the video, as its burden falls on the organization.
According to him, coronavirus is real and COVID-19 disease is an indiscriminate killer, noting that the association strongly condemns the politicization of the disease and the treatments currently being used to fight the pandemic.
“This disease is definitely not a joke and we strongly condemn the politicization of the disease and the treatments currently being used to fight the pandemic,” he said.
“As at today, the whole world is still actively looking for an effective treatment and of course, a vaccine. Until then, everyone has a responsibility to remain safe and protect one another through the ways proven to help.”
'Niyi worked with The ICIR as an Investigative Reporter and Fact-checker from 2020 till September 2022. You can shoot him an email via [email protected]. You can as well follow him on Twitter via @niyi_oyedeji.