Russia Approves Use of Malaria Treatment for COVID-19 Patients

Possibility of Side Effects Raised

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a video conference with the National Security Council members at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence on the outskirts of Moscow on the 16th (local time) and announced the postponement of the 75th anniversary Victory Day celebration of World War II, originally scheduled for the 9th of next month, due to the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Russian health authorities have approved the administration of the malaria treatment drug hydroxychloroquine to patients infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to local media including the Russian state news agency TASS on the 19th, the Russian Ministry of Health has authorized the use of hydroxychloroquine, a chloroquine-related drug used to treat malaria, for treating COVID-19 patients.

The Ministry of Health arranged for 68,600 packs of hydroxychloroquine, donated by a pharmaceutical company in Shanghai to the Russian National Medical Cardiology Research Center, to be distributed free of charge to medical institutions across the country.

Research on the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19 is ongoing worldwide.

Hydroxychloroquine gained global attention after U.S. President Donald Trump recommended it as an effective treatment for COVID-19, but recently concerns about side effects have also emerged.

The Moscow Times, an English-language newspaper in Russia, expressed skepticism about the safety and efficacy of the treatment, citing research that suggests malaria drugs can be fatal when combined with other medications.

Earlier, on the 14th, Michael Ryan, WHO Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme, urged caution in administering chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to COVID-19 patients.

In fact, a 17-year-old female student receiving hydroxychloroquine-based treatment at a hospital in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, died on the 14th.

In response, the Russian Ministry of Health has also instructed monitoring of the efficacy and safety of the malaria treatment drugs.

As of the 18th, Russia reported 4,785 new confirmed cases in one day, with a total cumulative number of 36,793 confirmed cases.