Algerian health authorities do not intend to abandon chloroquine in coronavirus treatments, despite WHO’s decision to “temporarily” suspend clinical trials of the drug as a precautionary measure.
“We have treated thousands of cases of coronavirus with the drug with great success to date. And we have not noted any adverse reactions,” Dr. Mohamed Bekkat, a member of the Scientific Committee monitoring the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic in Algeria, told AFP.
For the past two months, the Algerian authorities have decided to treat several thousand people suffering from coronavirus with a treatment based on hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.
Algeria’s coronavirus outbreak is one of the worst in Africa, with a total of 8,697 cases and 617 deaths officially recorded since 25 February.